Shloka 30

Adhyāya 21 — Duryodhanasya bāṇavarṣaḥ

Duryodhana’s Arrow-Storm and the Dust-Obscured Engagements

Devanagari script

शैनेयेडधिछिते राजन्‌ विरथे कृतवर्मणि

Transliteration

śaineye dadhicchite rājan virathe kṛtavarmaṇi

Translation

Sañjaya said: O King, when Śaineya (Sātyaki) was struck down and Kṛtavarman was left without his chariot, the battle’s balance shifted amid the chaos of the night-fighting, revealing how swiftly fortune turns in war.

Word by Word

• शैनेये: in/when (the warrior) Śaineya
• शैनेये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैनेय
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• दधिछिते: in/when (the warrior) Dadhichiti
• दधिछिते: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दधिछिति
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• विरथे: when (he was) without a chariot; chariotless
• विरथे: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विरथ
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• कृतवर्मणि: in/when Kṛtavarman
• कृतवर्मणि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृतवर्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Śaineya (Sātyaki)
• Kṛtavarman

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the instability of worldly power in war: even renowned warriors can be suddenly brought low, reminding readers that pride and certainty are fragile and that outcomes can pivot in an instant.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra a battlefield development: Śaineya (Sātyaki) has been struck down, and Kṛtavarman is without his chariot—details that signal a critical shift in the ongoing combat.