Shloka 46

Devanagari script

नेमौ शक्‍्यौ महेष्वासौ युद्धे क्षपयितुं परै: । इच्छमानौ पुनरिमौ हन्येतां सामरं जगत्‌,'ये दोनों महाधनुर्धर वीर युद्धमें दूसरे किन्हीं योद्धाओंके द्वारा नहीं मारे जा सकते। परंतु यदि ये दोनों चाहें तो देवताओंसहित सम्पूर्ण जगत्‌का विनाश कर सकते हैं"

Transliteration

na imau śakyau maheṣvāsau yuddhe kṣapayituṁ paraiḥ | icchamānau punar imau hanyetāṁ sāmaraṁ jagat ||

Translation

Sañjaya dit : «Ces deux grands archers ne peuvent être anéantis au combat par aucun autre guerrier. Et pourtant, s’ils le voulaient, ils pourraient entraîner la destruction du monde entier, avec les dieux eux-mêmes.»

Word by Word

nanot

imauthese two

śakyaupossible (to be done), able (to be)

mahā-iṣvāsautwo great bowmen

yuddhein battle

kṣapayitumto destroy, to cause to perish

paraiḥby others

icchamānauwishing, desiring

punaragain; moreover

imauthese two

hanyetāmcould/would be slain

sa-amaramtogether with the immortals (gods)

jagatworld

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

the two great bowmen (imau maheṣvāsau)

the gods (amarāḥ, implied by sāmaraṁ)

the world (jagat)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Extraordinary strength is not merely a gift but a moral burden: the truly great are defined not only by what they can do, but by what they choose not to do. The verse highlights restraint and responsibility amid the violence of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya, narrating the battle to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, emphasizes the unmatched prowess of two principal warriors, stating that no ordinary opponents can kill them; only their own will (or a special destiny) could lead to their fall, and their potential power is portrayed as world-destroying if unleashed without restraint.