Shloka 68

Devanagari script

स भिन्नकवच: शूरस्तोत्रार्दित इव द्विप: | विमुच्य सशरं चापं भूरिव्रणपरिस्रव:,कवच छिज्न-भिन्न हो जानेसे शूरवीर सात्यकि अंकुशोंकी मार खाये हुए हाथीके समान व्यथित हो उठे। उनके घावोंसे अधिक रक्त बह रहा था। वे शिथिल एवं खूनसे लथपथ हो धनुष-बाण छोड़कर रथके पिछले भागमें बैठ गये। तब सारथि तुरंत ही उन्हें द्रोणपुत्रके पाससे दूसरे रथीके पास हटा ले गया

Transliteration

sa bhinnakavacaḥ śūras totrārdita iva dvipaḥ | vimucya saśaraṃ cāpaṃ bhūrivraṇaparisravaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya dit : Son armure brisée, l’héroïque Sātyaki chancela comme un éléphant tourmenté par le crochet. Le sang jaillissait de ses nombreuses blessures ; il lâcha son arc avec ses flèches et, flasque, ruisselant de sang, s’assit à l’arrière de son char. Alors son cocher l’éloigna promptement du fils de Droṇa vers un autre combattant. La scène rappelle le prix brutal de la guerre : même le vaillant doit parfois se retirer, non par manque de courage, mais par les limites du corps au milieu d’une violence sans relâche.

Word by Word

सःhe

भिन्नकवचःwith broken armor

शूरःhero, warrior

स्तोत्रार्दितःpained/afflicted by goads (lit. by 'stotra')

इवlike, as if

द्विपःelephant

विमुच्यhaving released, letting go

सशरम्together with arrows

चापम्bow

भूरिव्रणपरिस्रवःfrom whose many wounds there was oozing/flowing (blood)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Sātyaki

Droṇaputra (Aśvatthāmā)

armour (kavaca)

bow (cāpa)

arrows (śara)

chariot (ratha)

charioteer (sārathi)

elephant-goad (totra)

elephant (dvipa)

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 highlights the ethical realism of war: valor does not negate vulnerability. A warrior may be compelled to withdraw due to grievous wounds; such retreat can be a prudent, duty-aligned response to preserve life and continue serving one’s cause rather than a sign of cowardice.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sātyaki’s armour is broken and he is heavily wounded, bleeding from many injuries. Overwhelmed like an elephant struck by a goad, he drops his bow and arrows and sits at the back of his chariot. His charioteer then swiftly moves him away from Droṇa’s son (Aśvatthāmā) toward another opponent/position.