Shloka 496

Devanagari script

विस्फार्य विव्यधे क्रुद्धो जलसंधं शरेण ह | तब सात्यकिने साखूके तनेके समान विशाल, इन्द्रके वज्रकी भाँति घोर टंकार करनेवाले तथा सबके शरीरको विदीर्ण करनेमें समर्थ दूसरा धनुष हाथमें लेकर उसे कानतक खींचा और कुपित हो एक बाणसे जलसंधको बींध डाला

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | visphārya vivyadhe kruddho jalasaṃdhaṃ śareṇa ha |

Translation

Sañjaya said: Enraged, he took up a second bow—huge as a tree-trunk, roaring like Indra’s vajra—drew it to the ear, and with a single arrow pierced Jalasaṃdha.

Word by Word

विस्फार्यhaving stretched (the bow)

विव्यधेpierced

क्रुद्धःangry

जलसन्धम्Jalasandha (proper name)

शरेणwith an arrow

हindeed

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Jalasaṃdha

arrow (śara)

bow (implied by visphārya)

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 how anger (krodha) can drive swift and forceful action in war; ethically, it points to the peril of wrath shaping judgment, even when martial duty (kṣatriya-dharma) demands decisive engagement.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that a warrior, in anger, fully draws his bow and pierces Jalasaṃdha with a single arrow, marking a sharp, violent turn in the ongoing battle.