Shloka 41

Devanagari script

विना किरीटं शुशुभे स पार्थ: श्यामो युवा नील इवोच्चशूड्र: । ततः समुद्ग्रथ्य सितेन वाससा स्वमूर्थजानव्यथितस्तदार्जुन: | विभासित: सूर्यमरीचिना दृढं शिरोगतेनोदयपर्वतो यथा

Transliteration

vinā kirīṭaṁ śuśubhe sa pārthaḥ śyāmo yuvā nīla ivoccacūḍraḥ | tataḥ samudgrathya sitena vāsasā svamūrdhajān vyathitas tadārjunaḥ | vibhāsitaḥ sūryamarīcinā dṛḍhaṁ śirogatenodayaparvato yathā ||

Translation

Dijo Sañjaya: Privado de su diadema, aquel hijo de Pṛthā resplandecía—de tez oscura, joven—como un alto pico de cresta azul. Luego Arjuna, dolido por la pérdida de su adorno de cabeza, se recogió el cabello con un paño blanco; y, al herirle los rayos del sol la cabeza, ardía con firmeza, como una montaña al amanecer cuyo cumbre ha prendido la luz.

Word by Word

विनाwithout

किरीटम्crown/diadem

शुशुभेshone, looked splendid

सःhe

पार्थःson of Pritha (Arjuna)

श्यामःdark-complexioned

युवाyoung

नीलःblue/dark

इवlike, as if

उच्चशूड्रःa lofty-crested one (lit. high-topknot/crest)

ततःthen, thereafter

समुद्ग्रथ्यhaving tied up/fastened together

सितेनwith a white

वाससाcloth/garment

स्वमूर्धजान्his head-hairs

व्यथितःdistressed, pained

तदाat that time

अर्जुनःArjuna

विभासितःilluminated, made to shine

सूर्यमरीचिनाby a sun-ray

दृढम्firmly, strongly

शिरोगतेनby that which had reached the head / being on the head

उदयपर्वतःthe rising-mountain (eastern mountain)

यथाas, just as

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Arjuna (Pārtha)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

External emblems of status (like a diadem) may be lost in the upheaval of war, yet a warrior’s steadiness and adherence to duty can restore dignity; true radiance is shown through composure and resolve rather than ornament.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates that Arjuna appears without his diadem; distressed, he ties up his hair with a white cloth, and as sunlight falls on his head he shines like a mountain peak at sunrise.