Shloka 25

Adhyāya 41 — Kṛṣṇa’s Battlefield Briefing and the Renewal of the Great Engagement

Devanagari script

मानी कृतास्त्र: कृतहस्तयोगो दिव्यास्त्रविच्छुवेतहय: प्रमाथी

Transliteration

mānī kṛtāstraḥ kṛtahastayogo divyāstravic chuvetahayaḥ pramāthī

Translation

Sañjaya dit : « Fier et plein d’assurance, parfaitement formé au maniement des armes et habile au corps à corps, c’était un guerrier farouche—connaisseur des traits divins, rapide comme un cheval bien mené, et capable d’écraser ses adversaires au combat. »

Word by Word

मानीproud, self-respecting

कृतास्त्रःone who has prepared/armed himself with weapons

कृतहस्तयोगःone whose hand-application/skill is perfected; well-trained in handling (weapons)

दिव्यास्त्रविच्छुवेतहयःwhose horses are (as if) scattered/struck by divine missiles (i.e., having horses affected by divine weapons)

प्रमाथीcrusher, overpowering, devastating

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

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 classical epic tension between martial excellence and inner disposition: mastery of weapons and divine missiles can make one formidable, yet pride (mānī) is also foregrounded—an ethical cue that prowess without humility can intensify conflict and downfall.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya is characterizing a key fighter on the battlefield, emphasizing his training, technical mastery (weapons and hand-combat), knowledge of divine astras, speed, and crushing power—setting the tone for the intensity of the coming engagement.