Shloka 11

Devanagari script

दुर्मर्षणं च विंशत्या चित्रसेनं च पञठचभि: । विकर्ण दशभिर्बाणै: पञ्चभिश्न जयद्रथम्‌

Transliteration

durmarṣaṇaṃ ca viṃśatyā citrasenaṃ ca pañcabhiḥ | vikarṇaṃ daśabhir bāṇaiḥ pañcabhiś ca jayadratham ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: With twenty arrows he struck Durmarṣaṇa; with five he struck Citrasena; with ten arrows he struck Vikarṇa; and with five he struck Jayadratha. The report underscores the relentless precision of the warrior’s assault amid the battle’s moral turmoil, where prowess and resolve are shown through measured, targeted blows rather than indiscriminate violence.

Word by Word

• दुर्मर्षणम्: Durmarshaṇa (a warrior)
• दुर्मर्षणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्मर्षण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• विंशत्या: with twenty (arrows)
• विंशत्या: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विंशति
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• चित्रसेनम्: Citraseṇa (a warrior)
• चित्रसेनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्रसेन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• पञ्चभिः: with five (arrows)
• पञ्चभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• विकर्णम्: Vikarṇa (a warrior)
• विकर्णम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विकर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दशभिः: with ten (arrows)
• दशभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• बाणैः: with arrows
• बाणैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• पञ्चभिः: with five (arrows)
• पञ्चभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• जयद्रथम्: Jayadratha (a warrior)
• जयद्रथम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: जयद्रथ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Durmarṣaṇa
• Citrasena
• Vikarṇa
• Jayadratha
• arrows (bāṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights disciplined martial action in war: strength is expressed through controlled, deliberate strikes. In the Mahābhārata’s ethical frame, even violence in battle is expected to follow a warrior’s code—skill, restraint, and purpose rather than chaos.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports a sequence of battlefield hits: a warrior (implied from context) shoots multiple Kaurava fighters—Durmarṣaṇa, Citrasena, Vikarṇa, and Jayadratha—each with a specified number of arrows, emphasizing the intensity and precision of the engagement.