Shloka 50

धृतराष्ट्र-संजय-संवादः — सात्यकि-अलम्बुसयोर्युद्धवर्णनम्

Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Saṃjaya Dialogue; Account of Sātyaki vs Alambusa

Devanagari script

स तस्य देहावरणं भित्त्वा देह च सायक:

Transliteration

sa tasya dehāvaraṇaṃ bhittvā dehaṃ ca sāyakaḥ

Translation

Sañjaya said: The arrow, piercing through his bodily covering (armor), struck his very body—an image of the battle’s ruthless precision, where protection and prowess alike are tested and life is laid bare before the consequences of war.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तस्य: of him / his
• तस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• देहावरणम्: body-covering (armor)
• देहावरणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: देहावरण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• भित्त्वा: having pierced / having broken through
• भित्त्वा: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: भिद्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage), Non-finite

• देहम्: the body
• देहम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• सायकः: arrow
• सायकः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सायक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• sāyaka (arrow)
• dehāvaraṇa (armor/body-covering)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the stark reality of war: even strong protections can fail, and actions in battle carry immediate, irreversible consequences. It implicitly invites reflection on the ethical weight of violence and the fragility of embodied life amid kṣatriya duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates a combat moment in which an arrow penetrates a warrior’s protective covering (armor) and wounds the body itself, emphasizing the intensity and effectiveness of the strike.