Shloka 9

अध्याय ८८ — घटोत्कच-दुर्योधनयुद्धवर्णनम्

Ghaṭotkaca–Duryodhana Engagement

Devanagari script

अभिद्रुतं चास्त्र भृतां वरिष्ठ धनंजयं वीक्ष्य शिखण्डिमुख्या:

Transliteration

abhidrutaṃ cāstra-bhṛtāṃ variṣṭhaṃ dhanaṃjayaṃ vīkṣya śikhaṇḍi-mukhyāḥ

Translation

Sañjaya dit : Voyant Dhanañjaya (Arjuna), le premier parmi ceux qui portent les armes, violemment pris d’assaut, les guerriers menés par Śikhaṇḍin s’en avisèrent et se mirent en mouvement.

Word by Word

• अभिद्रुतम्: rushed at / attacked
• अभिद्रुतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभिद्रुत (अभि+द्रु धातु, क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अस्त्रभृताम्: of the weapon-bearers
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्रभृत्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• वरिष्ठम्: the best / foremost
• वरिष्ठम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वरिष्ठ (वर-तरा/तम; superlative)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• धनंजयम्: Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)
• धनंजयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनंजय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वीक्ष्य: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: वीक्ष्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund)

• शिखण्डिमुख्याः: those headed by Śikhaṇḍin
• शिखण्डिमुख्याः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिखण्डि-मुख्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)
• Śikhaṇḍin
• astra (weapons/missiles)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the battlefield ethic that excellence invites concentrated opposition and strategic counter-moves; duty (kṣatriya-dharma) is enacted not only through valor but through coordinated leadership under pressure.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Arjuna, the foremost weapon-wielder, is being aggressively attacked/charged; seeing this, the group led by Śikhaṇḍin reacts—indicating a tactical moment where Arjuna becomes the central target and Śikhaṇḍin’s side responds as a unit.