Shloka 28

अध्याय ५८ — वानरध्वजस्य महेन्द्रास्त्रप्रयोगः

Chapter 58: Arjuna’s Deployment of the Indra-Weapon

Devanagari script

विस्फार्य सुमहच्चापं हेमपृष्ठं दुरासदम्‌ । भारद्वाजो<थ संक्रुद्ध: फाल्गुनं प्रत्यविध्यत

Transliteration

visphārya sumahac cāpaṃ hemapṛṣṭhaṃ durāsadam | bhāradvājo 'tha saṃkruddhaḥ phālgunaṃ pratyavidhyata ||

Translation

Dijo Vaiśampāyana: El hijo de Bhāradvāja (Droṇa), encendido de ira, tensó su arco inmenso—de dorso guarnecido de oro y difícil incluso de empuñar para otros—y disparó contra Phālguna (Arjuna), atravesándolo con flechas.

Word by Word

• विस्फार्य: having stretched/drawn
• विस्फार्य: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: विस्फार्य (वि+स्फार् धातु)
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), कर्तरि

• सुमहत्: very great
• सुमहत्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुमहत्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• चापम्: bow
• चापम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: चाप
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• हेमपृष्ठम्: gold-backed / with a golden back
• हेमपृष्ठम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हेमपृष्ठ
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• दुरासदम्: hard to approach/assail
• दुरासदम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुरासद
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• भारद्वाजः: Bhāradvāja (Drona)
• भारद्वाजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारद्वाज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अथ: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• संक्रुद्धः: enraged
• संक्रुद्धः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संक्रुद्ध (सम्+क्रुध्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle used adjectivally)

• फाल्गुनम्: Phālguna (Arjuna)
• फाल्गुनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: फाल्गुन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रति: towards/against
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति

• अविध्यत्: pierced/struck
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्यध् (वि+व्यध्)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect), परस्मैपद, Third, Singular, कर्तरि

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Droṇa (Bhāradvāja)
• Arjuna (Phālguna)
• gold-backed great bow (hemapṛṣṭha sumahac cāpa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how anger (krodha) intensifies violence: even great skill and sacred martial discipline can become destructive when driven by rage rather than restrained duty (dharma).

What is happening in the narrative?

Droṇa, described as Bhāradvāja’s son, draws his formidable gold-backed bow and, in anger, shoots at Arjuna (Phālguna), piercing him with arrows—depicting a fierce exchange in the battle episode.