Shloka 456

अर्जुनस्य गुरुधर्मविलापः तथा शैनेयकर्णयोर्युद्धारम्भः | Arjuna’s Lament on Guru-Dharma and the Opening of the Sātyaki–Karṇa Duel

Devanagari script

अवाकिरच्छरैस्तीक्ष्ण रुक्मपुड्खै: शिलाशितै: । भारत! आपकी सेनाको भागती देख सात्यकिने सानपर चढ़ाकर तेज किये हुए सुवर्णमय पंखवाले तीखे बाणोंकी वर्षा आरम्भ कर दी

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

avākirac charais tīkṣṇai rukmapuṅkhaiḥ śilāśitaiḥ |

Translation

Sañjaya said: Seeing your army in flight, Sātyaki began a fierce shower of arrows—sharp, whetted on stone, and fitted with golden feathers—to check the rout and drive the battle onward. The scene shows how, in war, a commander’s resolve and skill can steady collapsing ranks, even as the violence of the means remains stark.

Word by Word

• अवाकिरत्: showered, scattered (upon)
• अवाकिरत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव√कॄ (किरति)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• शरैः: with arrows
• शरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• तीक्ष्ण: sharp
• तीक्ष्ण: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीक्ष्ण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• रुक्मपुड्खैः: having golden fletchings
• रुक्मपुड्खैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुक्म-पुड्ख
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• शिलाशितैः: stone-whetted, sharpened on stone
• शिलाशितैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिला-आशित
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• भारत: O Bharata!
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Bhārata (Dhṛtarāṣṭra addressed)
• Sātyaki (Yuyudhāna)
• arrows (śara)
• golden fletchings (rukmapuṅkha)
• whetstone/stone (śilā)