Shloka 29

Devanagari script

समादत्त शितान्‌ भल्लान्‌ पञ्च पाण्डवनन्दन: । तस्य चिच्छेद तां शक्ति पठचधा पडठ्चभि: शरै:

Transliteration

saṃjaya uvāca | samādatta śitān bhallān pañca pāṇḍavanandanaḥ | tasya ciccheda tāṃ śaktiṃ pañcadhā pañcabhiḥ śaraiḥ | atāḍayan raṇe bhīṣmaṃ sahitāḥ sarvasṛñjayāḥ |

Translation

Sañjaya said: The son of the Pāṇḍavas took up five keen, razor‑edged bhalla arrows, and with five shafts he cut that spear‑weapon into five pieces. Then, united together, all the Sṛñjayas struck Bhīṣma in the battle from every side, seeking to check his overwhelming might by a concerted onslaught of diverse missiles and weapons.

Word by Word

• समादत्त: having taken up
• समादत्त: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-दा (धातु) / समादत्त (कृदन्त-रूप)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शितान्: sharp
• शितान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• भल्लान्: barbed arrows (bhallas)
• भल्लान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भल्ल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• पञ्च: five
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या)
• Form: true

• पाण्डव-नन्दनः: the son of the Pandavas
• पाण्डव-नन्दनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुं/नपुं, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• चिच्छेद: cut (he cut)
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद, perfect), प्रथम, एकवचन

• ताम्: that (her/it)
• ताम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: स्त्री, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• शक्तिम्: spear/weapon (shakti)
• शक्तिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्री, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पञ्चधा: into five parts
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पञ्चधा (अव्यय)
• Form: true

• पञ्चभिः: with five
• पञ्चभिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुं, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• शरैः: with arrows
• शरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• अताडयन्: they struck/beat
• Type: Verb
• Root: तड् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect), प्रथम, बहुवचन

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• भीष्मम्: Bhishma
• भीष्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सहिताः: united/together
• सहिताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-रूप)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुं, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• सृञ्जयाः: the Srijayas
• सृञ्जयाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृञ्जय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīṣma
• Pāṇḍavanandana (a Pāṇḍava prince)
• Sṛñjayas
• bhalla (arrow type)
• śakti (spear/javelin weapon)
• śara (arrow)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even the mightiest warrior can be checked when opponents act with discipline and coordination; the passage highlights strategic restraint and collective responsibility in war rather than reckless individual display.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Pāṇḍava prince seizes five sharp bhalla arrows and slices an incoming śakti (spear-weapon) into five pieces with five shafts; then the Sṛñjaya warriors, acting together, strike Bhīṣma from all sides in a concentrated assault.