Shloka 82

Devanagari script

ततो धनुज्यामवनाम्य शीघ्र शरानस्तानाधिरथेर्विंधम्य

Transliteration

tato dhanujyām avanāmya śīghraṃ śarān astānādhirather vindhamya

Translation

Sañjaya dit : Alors, abaissant vivement la corde de son arc, il y ajusta ses flèches et les dirigea contre le guerrier du char—geste pressant de l’art du combat, montrant comment, dans l’étreinte de la guerre, l’adresse et la vitesse se tournent vers l’œuvre sombre d’abattre l’adversaire.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद्
• Form: Avyaya (ablatival adverb: 'from that/thereupon')

• धनुज्याम्: the bowstring
• धनुज्याम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुज्या
• Form: Feminine, accusative, singular

• अवनाम्य: having bent (down)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-नम्
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वा-न्त), 'having bent/drawn down'

• शीघ्रम्: quickly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शीघ्र
• Form: Avyaya (adverb)

• शरान्: arrows
• शरान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, accusative, plural

• अस्तान्: cast/shot (forth)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अस्त
• Form: Masculine, accusative, plural

• अधिरथेः: of Adhiratha
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधिरथ
• Form: Masculine, genitive, singular

• विंधम्य: having pierced
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्यध् (विध्/व्यध्)
• Form: Absolutive (ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समर्थ), 'having pierced'

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• bowstring
• arrows
• chariot-warrior (adhirathin)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the battlefield reality that trained skill and rapid execution become decisive; ethically, it reflects the Mahabharata’s tension between kshatriya-competence in war and the heavy moral weight of using that competence to harm.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya narrates a combat moment: a warrior quickly lowers the bowstring and sets/fixes arrows, preparing to strike a chariot-fighter in the ongoing battle.