Shloka 73

अध्याय ६० — कर्णस्य पाञ्चाल-सोमक-निग्रहः

Karna’s Suppression of the Panchala–Somaka Forces

Devanagari script

तस्य ज्यातलनिर्घोषं श्रुत्वाशनिसमस्वनम्‌

Transliteration

tasya jyātalanirghoṣaṃ śrutvāśanisamasvanam

Translation

Sañjaya said: Hearing the thunderous twang of his bowstring—like the roar of a lightning-bolt—the warriors understood that a formidable archer had drawn his bow.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him/its
• तस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• ज्यातलनिर्घोषम्: the twang/clang from the bowstring and palm (slap)
• ज्यातलनिर्घोषम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्या + तल + निर्घोष
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here)

• अशनिसमस्वनम्: thunderbolt-like in sound
• अशनिसमस्वनम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशनि + सम + स्वन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• bowstring (jyā)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores how the instruments of violence can project authority and terror even before action begins; it invites reflection on the ethical weight of power in war—strength can overwhelm judgment, so restraint and discernment remain crucial even amid martial display.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes the battlefield moment when the sound of a warrior’s bow being drawn and released (the twang of the bowstring) rings out with thunder-like force, signaling the presence and readiness of a powerful archer.