Shloka 27

Devanagari script

शिखण्डी तु महाराज गौतमस्य महद्‌ धनु:

Transliteration

śikhaṇḍī tu mahārāja gautamasya mahad dhanuḥ

Translation

Sañjaya said: O great king, Śikhaṇḍī bore the mighty bow that belonged to Gautama.

Word by Word

• शिखण्डी: Shikhandi
• शिखण्डी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिखण्डिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• महाराज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• गौतमस्य: of Gautama
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौतम
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• महत्: great
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• धनुः: bow
• धनुः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śikhaṇḍī
• Gautama
• bow
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Sañjaya

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in a dharma-framed war, power is conveyed through symbols like inherited weapons; the verse underscores how lineage, capability, and circumstance converge, reminding readers that ethical outcomes in battle are shaped by both personal agency and the instruments one bears.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya, reporting the battlefield to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, notes that Śikhaṇḍī is equipped with a mighty bow associated with Gautama, highlighting Śikhaṇḍī’s martial readiness and significance in the unfolding combat.