Shloka 23

Devanagari script

स्थितावेकरथे तौ तु भ्रातरौ कुलवर्धनौ । आर्जुनि: शरजालेन च्छादयामास भारत,भरतनन्दन! अभिमन्युने एक रथपर बैठे हुए उन दोनों वंशवर्धक भ्राताओंको अपने बाणोंके जालसे आच्छादित कर दिया

Transliteration

sait01vekarathe tau tu bhr01tarau kulavardhanau | abhimanyun01 5baraj01lena ch01day01m01sa bh01rata ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Those two brothers, enhancers of their lineage, were stationed together on a single chariot. Then Abhimanyu, O Bharata, covered them with a net of arrows—a display of martial mastery that also bespeaks the relentless pressure of kṣatriya duty upon the battlefield.

Word by Word

स्थितौstanding/situated

एकरथेin one chariot

तौthose two

तुbut/indeed

भ्रातरौtwo brothers

कुलवर्धनौenhancers of the lineage

अर्जुनिःAbhimanyu (Arjuna’s son) / Arjuni

शरजालेनwith a net of arrows

च्छादयामासcovered/veiled

भारतO Bharata

भरतनन्दनO descendant/joy of Bharata

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sanjaya

Abhimanyu

two brothers (unnamed in this verse)

chariot

arrows

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 k63atriya-dharma in action: excellence in battle is portrayed as disciplined skill and resolve, while the mention of "lineage-enhancers" frames combat within the ethical world of honor, duty, and the protection (or contest) of family reputation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports that two brothers are together on one chariot, and Abhimanyu attacks by showering them so densely with arrows that they are said to be "covered" by an arrow-neta conventional epic image for overwhelming, continuous archery.