Shloka 21

Adhyāya 290: Kuntī’s Mantra-Parīkṣā and the Appearance of Sūrya (कुन्ती–सूर्यसंवादः)

Devanagari script

स राममुद्दिश्य शरैस्ततो दत्तवरैस्तदा

Transliteration

sa rāmam uddiśya śarais tato dattavarais tadā

Translation

Entonces, fijando su mira en Rāma, disparó flechas—por entonces fortalecidas por los dones que había recibido—señal de una escalada del conflicto, sancionada por lo divino y, sin embargo, cargada de peso moral.

Word by Word

सःhe

रामम्Rama (as the object/target)

उद्दिश्यhaving aimed at / addressing / intending

शरैःwith arrows

ततःthen / thereafter / from there

दत्तवरैःwith boons that had been granted (i.e., by granted boons)

तदाat that time / then

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Rāma

arrows (śara)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Power gained through boons or special endowments intensifies responsibility: when conflict is pursued with extraordinary means, the ethical weight of intention (uddiśya) and restraint in battle becomes even more significant within a dharmic framework.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya describes a moment in which a combatant turns his attention specifically to Rāma and shoots arrows, relying on previously granted boons—indicating a decisive, empowered attack directed at a central figure.