Shloka 42

Devanagari script

चर्म खड््‌गं च सम्बाधे धृष्टद्युम्नस्य स द्विज: । ये तु वैतस्तिका नाम शरा आसन्नयोधिन:

Transliteration

carma khaḍgaṃ ca sambādhe dhṛṣṭadyumnasya sa dvijaḥ | ye tu vaitastikā nāma śarā āsannayodhinaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya dit : Dans la mêlée du combat rapproché, ce brahmane prit lui aussi bouclier et épée contre Dhṛṣṭadyumna ; et les flèches dites vaitastikā se trouvaient à portée des combattants—armes de guerre qu’on met en œuvre dans l’étreinte, lorsque la survie dépend de la préparation et de la résolution.

Word by Word

चर्मshield/leather (armor)

खड्गम्sword

चand

सम्बाधेin the press/throng (close combat)

धृष्टद्युम्नस्यof Dhrishtadyumna

सःhe

द्विजःthe brahmin (Drona)

येwho/which (those)

तुbut/indeed

वैindeed/verily

वैतस्तिकाःmade of cane/reed (Vaitastika)

नामby name/called

शराःarrows

आसन्were

अयोधिनःnon-fighting/ineffective in battle

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛṣṭadyumna

dvija (a Brahmin warrior)

carma (shield)

khaḍga (sword)

vaitastikā śarāḥ (vaitastikā arrows)

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?

The verse underscores the reality of dharma in battle as disciplined readiness: in the chaos of close quarters, warriors rely on appropriate means (shield, sword, specialized arrows). It highlights how ethical duty in war is enacted through preparedness and steadfastness amid danger.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that, in a tightly packed melee, a Brahmin combatant engages Dhṛṣṭadyumna with shield and sword, while the fighters have a particular kind of arrow—called vaitastikā—ready for use.