Shloka 9

Devanagari script

जीवितान्तकरान्‌ घोरान्‌ समादत्त शिलीमुखान्‌ | तैस्तूर्ण समरे<विध्यद्‌ द्रौणिं बलवतां वर:,तब श्रीकृष्णसहित अर्जुनने क्रोधसे लाल आँखें करके बारंबार गरम-गरम लंबी साँस खींचकर सोच-विचार करनेके पश्चात्‌ धनुषको बायें हाथसे दबाया। फिर उन शशत्रुसूदन गाण्डीवधारी पार्थने कुपित हो झुकी हुई गाँठवाले कुछ भयंकर बाण हाथमें लिये, जो जीवनका अन्त कर देनेवाले थे। बलवानोंमें श्रेष्ठ अर्जुनने उन बाणोंद्वारा तुरंत ही समरांगणमें अश्वत्थामाको घायल किया

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | jīvitāntakarān ghorān samādatta śilīmukhān | tais tūrṇaṃ samare ’vidhyad drauṇiṃ balavatāṃ varaḥ |

Translation

Sañjaya said: Taking up dreadful, life-ending śilīmukha arrows, Arjuna—the best among the mighty—swiftly struck Droṇa’s son, Aśvatthāmā, on the battlefield.

Word by Word

जीवितान्तकरान्life-ending

घोरान्terrible

समादत्तtook up / seized

शिलीमुखान्arrows

तैःwith those

तूर्णम्swiftly

समरेin battle

अविध्यत्pierced / struck

द्रौणिम्Drona's son (Ashvatthaman)

बलवताम्of the strong

वरःthe best

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Arjuna (implied by balavatāṃ varaḥ in context)

Drauṇi (Aśvatthāmā)

Śilīmukha arrows

Battlefield (samara)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the severe moral pressure of battlefield duty: when confronted by a dangerous foe, a warrior may be compelled to use deadly means, yet the action is framed as swift, purposeful execution of kṣatriya responsibility rather than cruelty for its own sake.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates that Arjuna, choosing fearsome, lethal arrows, quickly wounds Droṇa’s son Aśvatthāmā in the midst of battle.