Shloka 2

Devanagari script

ततो ज्यामभिमृज्याशु व्याक्षिपद्‌ गाण्डिवं धनु: । दश्रे कर्णविनाशाय केशवं चाभ्यभाषत,तत्पश्चात्‌ धनुषकी प्रत्यंचाको साफ करके उन्होंने शीघ्र ही गाण्डीवधनुषकी टंकार की और कर्णके विनाशका दृढ़ निश्चय कर लिया। फिर वे भगवान्‌ श्रीकृष्णसे इस प्रकार बोले --[

Transliteration

tato jyām abhimṛjya āśu vyākṣipad gāṇḍīvaṃ dhanuḥ | daśre karṇa-vināśāya keśavaṃ cābhyabhāṣata ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Then, swiftly wiping the bowstring, he drew and twanged the Gāṇḍīva bow. Resolute about Karṇa’s destruction, he then addressed Keśava (Kṛṣṇa).

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

ज्याम्bowstring

अभिमृज्यhaving wiped/handled

आशुquickly

व्याक्षिपत्he twanged/brandished (lit. threw forth)

गाण्डिवम्Gāṇḍīva (Arjuna's bow)

धनुःbow

दश्रेin the tenth (day)

कर्णविनाशायfor the destruction of Karṇa

केशवम्Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)

चand

अभ्यभाषतhe addressed/spoke to

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Gāṇḍīva (bow)

Karṇa

Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)

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 disciplined readiness and unwavering resolve in the face of a decisive moral crisis, while also implying that even the greatest warrior seeks alignment with higher guidance (Keśava) before acting.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna prepares his bow by wiping the string, draws and twangs the Gāṇḍīva as a signal of readiness, forms a firm intention to bring about Karṇa’s downfall, and then turns to speak with Kṛṣṇa.