Shloka 40

Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 29 — Arjuna’s defeat of Vṛṣaka–Acalā and the neutralization of Śakuni’s māyā

Devanagari script

ततः पार्थो महाबाहुरसम्भ्रान्तो महामना: । कुम्भयोरन्तरे नागं नाराचेन समार्पयत्‌,तत्पश्चात्‌ महाबाहु महामना पार्थने बिना किसी घबराहटके हाथीके कुम्भस्थलमें एक नाराचका प्रहार किया

Transliteration

tataḥ pārtho mahābāhur asambhrānto mahāmanāḥ | kumbhayor antare nāgaṃ nārācena samārpayat ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Then Pārtha (Arjuna), mighty-armed, unshaken and high-souled, struck the elephant between its temples with a nārāca arrow.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

पार्थःPartha (Arjuna)

महाबाहुःmighty-armed

असम्भ्रान्तःunperturbed, unconfused

महामनाःgreat-souled, high-minded

कुम्भयोःin/at the (two) temples (of the elephant)

अन्तरेin the middle, between

नागम्elephant

नाराचेनwith a narāca (iron arrow/shaft)

समार्पयत्he struck/placed (i.e., delivered a blow)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Pārtha (Arjuna)

nāga (war-elephant)

nārāca (arrow)

kumbhasthala (elephant’s temples)

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 steadiness (asambhrānta) and disciplined intent in action: even amid violence, a warrior is expected to act with clarity and control, not fear or confusion—an ethical ideal within kṣatriya-dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Arjuna, remaining calm, shoots a powerful nārāca arrow at a war-elephant, striking it precisely between its temples—an image of battlefield prowess and tactical decisiveness.