Shloka 119

Adhyāya 141 — Night duels: Śaineya and Bhūriśravas; Droṇi and Ghaṭotkaca; Bhīma and Duryodhana

Devanagari script

ततो द्रौणिं चतुःषष्ट्या विव्याध कुपितोर्डर्जुन:

Transliteration

tato drauṇiṁ catuḥṣaṣṭyā vivyādha kupito 'rjunāḥ

Translation

Alors Arjuna, enflammé de colère, transperça le fils de Droṇa (Aśvatthāman) de soixante-quatre flèches—un geste qui redouble la férocité du combat et montre que même le guerrier le plus discipliné peut être poussé par une juste indignation et par les exigences de la guerre.

Word by Word

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः
• Form: Avyaya (ablatival adverb: 'from there/then')

• द्रौणिम्: Drauni (son of Drona; Ashvatthaman)
• द्रौणिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रौणि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• चतुःषष्ट्या: with sixty-four (arrows)
• चतुःषष्ट्या: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुःषष्टि
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• विव्याध: pierced; struck
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्यध्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada

• कुपितः: enraged
• कुपितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुपित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular (past passive participle used adjectivally)

• उर्जुनः: Arjuna
• उर्जुनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Arjuna
• Drauṇi (Aśvatthāman)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the tension between disciplined duty and overpowering emotion in war: even a dharma-guided warrior like Arjuna can be seized by anger, yet his action remains framed within the kṣatriya obligation to confront formidable foes decisively.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Arjuna, enraged, attacks Aśvatthāman (Droṇa’s son) and strikes him with sixty-four arrows, marking a sharp escalation in their combat.