Shloka 102

Devanagari script

उस समय समरांगणमें उनके बाणोंसे आच्छादित होते हुए शत्रुसैन्यसंहारक कुन्तीकुमार अर्जुन पाशधारी यमराजके समान अपना भयंकर रूप दिखाते और संशप्तकोंका वध करते हुए अत्यन्त दर्शनीय हो रहे थे ।। ततो विद्युत्प्रभैर्बाणै: कार्तस्वरविभूषितै: । निरन्तरमिवाकाशमासीच्छन्न॑ किरीटिना,तदनन्तर किरीटधारी अर्जुनके चलाये हुए विद्युतके समान प्रकाशमान सुवर्णभूषित बाणोंद्वारा आच्छादित हो आकाश ठसाठस भर गया

Transliteration

tato vidyutprabhair bāṇaiḥ kārtasvaravibhūṣitaiḥ | nirantaram ivākāśam āsīcchannaṃ kirīṭinā ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Then Arjuna, Kuntī’s son—the slayer of the enemy host—though covered on the battlefield by their arrows, displayed a fearsome, Yama-like aspect, and as he slew the Saṃśaptakas he became exceedingly wondrous to behold. Thereafter, by lightning-bright arrows adorned with gleaming gold, shot by Arjuna of the diadem, the sky seemed continuously covered, packed as though without a gap.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

विद्युत्-प्रभैःwith lightning-bright

बाणैःwith arrows

कार्तस्वर-विभूषितैःadorned with gold

निरन्तरम्continuously, without break

इवas if, like

आकाशम्the sky

आसीत्was, became

छन्नम्covered

किरीटिनाby the diadem-wearer (Arjuna)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Arjuna (Kirīṭin, Kuntīkumāra)

Yama (Pāśadhārī)

Saṃsaptakas

ākāśa (sky)

bāṇa (arrows)

kārtasvara (gold)

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 underscores the kṣatriya ethic of relentless resolve in a just battle: when duty demands, the warrior must act decisively and without hesitation. Arjuna’s Yama-like aspect symbolizes impartial, inevitable consequence—violence is not celebrated for its own sake, but portrayed as the grim instrument of dharma within the battlefield’s moral framework.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Arjuna overwhelming the battlefield: his gold-adorned, lightning-bright arrows fly in such continuous volleys that the sky appears completely covered. In this onslaught he cuts down the Saṃsaptakas—fighters pledged to engage him to the death—making Arjuna appear terrifyingly splendid, like Yama executing destruction.