Shloka 121

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

Devanagari script

ततः सुवर्णपृष्ठानां चापानां कूजतां रणे

Transliteration

tataḥ suvarṇapṛṣṭhānāṃ cāpānāṃ kūjatāṃ raṇe

Translation

Sañjaya dit : Alors, sur le champ de bataille, les arcs au dos d’or se mirent à retentir—musique de guerre, sombre et exaltante, qui proclame la résolution des combattants et l’élan irrévocable de la violence dès que les armes sont levées.

Word by Word

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: अव्यय (तसिल्-प्रत्ययः)

• सुवर्णपृष्ठानाम्: of gold-backed (ones)
• सुवर्णपृष्ठानाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुवर्णपृष्ठ (प्रातिपदिकम्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• चापानाम्: of bows
• चापानाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: चाप (प्रातिपदिकम्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• कूजताम्: of (those) sounding/twang-ing
• कूजताम्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: कूज् (धातुः)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले, शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (परस्मैपदी), षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण (प्रातिपदिकम्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• gold-backed bows
• battlefield (raṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how quickly conflict becomes irreversible once weapons are taken up: the very sound of bows twanging marks a collective commitment to battle, reminding readers of the grave ethical weight of initiating violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes the battlefield atmosphere: gold-adorned bows are being drawn and released, producing a loud twanging/resounding that signals the onset or intensification of fighting.