Shloka 21

Duryodhana Seeks Droṇa’s Counsel; Imperative to Protect Jayadratha; Pāñcāla Assault on Duryodhana

Devanagari script

संजय उवाच एवमुक्त्वार्जुनो बाणमभिमन्त्रय व्यकर्षयत्‌

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca evam uktvārjuno bāṇam abhimantrya vyakarṣayat

Translation

Sañjaya said: Having spoken thus, Arjuna, after consecrating his arrow with a mantra, drew it back—readying the shot.

Word by Word

• संजयः: Sanjaya
• संजयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: संजय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• एवम्: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• उक्त्वा: having said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), क्त्वा

• अर्जुनः: Arjuna
• अर्जुनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• बाणम्: arrow
• बाणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अभिमन्त्रय: having enchanted/consecrated
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-मन्त्रय्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), ल्यप् (य), abhi-mantrayitvā/abhi-mantrya: 'having consecrated/enchanted'

• व्यकर्षयत्: drew (back)/pulled
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-आ-कृष्
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Arjuna
• arrow (bāṇa)
• mantra (implied by abhimantrya)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in battle, action is portrayed as disciplined and value-governed: Arjuna does not act rashly but prepares with focused intent, invoking mantra as a sign of inner steadiness and the traditional alignment of martial force with sacred order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates that Arjuna, after making a statement in the preceding context, ritually empowers his arrow and draws it back, indicating he is about to release a decisive shot.