Shloka 64

अध्याय ९ — कर्णस्य प्रहारः, योधयुग्मनियोजनम्, शैनेय-कैकेययोर्युद्धविन्यासः

Devanagari script

कि करिष्यति गाण्डीवमक्षय्यौ च महेषुधी । स्निग्धचन्दनदिग्धस्य मच्छरस्याभिधावत:

Transliteration

ki kariyati g1vam akayyau ca maheudh
2 | snigdhacandanadigdhasya maccharasy
0bhidh
0vata ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “What can the Gāṇḍīva bow and those two inexhaustible great quivers accomplish, when my enemy rushes forward—his body anointed with smooth sandal-paste?”

Word by Word

• किम्: what?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम्
• Form: interrogative particle (used adverbially)

• करिष्यति: will do
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: simple future (लृट्), parasmaipada, 3rd person, singular

• गाण्डीवम्: the Gāṇḍīva (bow)
• गाण्डीवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गाण्डीव
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• अक्षय्यौ: inexhaustible (two)
• अक्षय्यौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षय्य
• Form: feminine, nominative, dual

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: conjunction

• महेषुधी: two great quivers
• महेषुधी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेषुधी
• Form: feminine, nominative, dual

• स्निग्धचन्दनदिग्धस्य: of (one) smeared with smooth sandal(-paste)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्निग्ध-चन्दन-दिग्ध
• Form: masculine, genitive, singular

• मत्सरस्य: of jealousy/envy
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्सर
• Form: masculine, genitive, singular

• अभिधावतः: of (one) running towards/charging
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-धाव्
• Form: present active participle (शतृ), masculine, genitive, singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaibamp
  01yana
• G
  01
  2va (bow)
• Akaya quivers (two inexhaustible quivers)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even the greatest external resourceslegendary weapons, reputation, and preparednesscan seem powerless when the mind is shaken by the sight of a confident opponent. The verse underscores the ethical and psychological dimension of dharma-yuddha: victory depends not only on arms but also on steadiness, discernment, and freedom from delusion born of fear or pride.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Kara Parva battle setting, the narrator frames a moment of tense appraisal: the speaker questions what Arjunas famed G
01
2va and his inexhaustible quivers can achieve as an enemy charges forward, anointed with sandal-pastea conventional sign of martial readiness and self-assuredness.