Shloka 416

Devanagari script

दुःशासनाय सुबहून्‌ प्रेषयामास सायकान्‌ । महाराज! उस समय अर्जुने आपकी सेनाको भगाकर दुःशासनपर बहुत-से सायकोंका प्रहार किया

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | duḥśāsanāya subahūn preṣayāmāsa sāyakān | mahārāja! tasmin samaye arjunena tava senā bhagāvitā duḥśāsane bahu-sāyaka-prahāraḥ kṛtaḥ |

Translation

Sañjaya said: “Toward Duhshasana he dispatched a great many arrows. O King, at that time Arjuna routed your forces and struck Duhshasana with repeated volleys.”

Word by Word

• दुःशासनाय: to Duhshasana
• दुःशासनाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःशासन
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• सुबहून्: very many
• सुबहून्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुबहु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• प्रेषयामास: sent / dispatched
• प्रेषयामास: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-इष्
• Form: Perfect (Periphrastic), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सायकान्: arrows
• सायकान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सायक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Dhritarashtra (Mahārāja)
• Arjuna
• Duhshasana
• Kaurava army
• arrows (sāyaka)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical logic of the epic’s war: persistent wrongdoing (adharma) invites decisive opposition, and martial power is portrayed as serving a moral reckoning rather than mere aggression.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that Arjuna has driven back the Kaurava troops and then concentrates his attack on Duhshasana, showering him with many arrows.