Shloka 122

Devanagari script

स छिन्नधन्वा बलवान्‌ रथशरक्ति सुदारुणाम्‌

Transliteration

sa chinnadhanvā balavān rathaśaraktī sudāruṇām

Translation

Sañjaya dit : Bien que son arc eût été tranché, le puissant guerrier déchaîna encore, depuis son char, une attaque d’une férocité terrible—preuve de l’élan implacable du combat, où la vaillance demeure même après la perte d’une arme maîtresse.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• छिन्नधन्वा: whose bow is cut/broken
• छिन्नधन्वा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: छिन्नधन्वन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• बलवान्: mighty/strong
• बलवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• रथशरक्तिम्: a chariot-lance (a spear used from a chariot)
• रथशरक्तिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथशरक्ति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• सुदारुणाम्: very dreadful/terrible
• सुदारुणाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुदारुण
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• chariot (ratha)
• arrows (śara)
• bow (dhanus)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even when a crucial support is lost (here, the bow), steadfast courage and resolve can continue; in the epic’s ethical frame, this reflects the kṣatriya ideal of not retreating from a righteous battlefield, while also highlighting the grim cost and intensity of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that a powerful fighter, despite having his bow severed, continues the fight from his chariot by launching a very fierce attack with arrows/weapon-casting, emphasizing the escalating ferocity of the Drona Parva battle.