Shloka 41

Devanagari script

विना किरीटं शुशुभे स पार्थ: श्यामो युवा नील इवोच्चशूड्र: । ततः समुद्ग्रथ्य सितेन वाससा स्वमूर्थजानव्यथितस्तदार्जुन: | विभासित: सूर्यमरीचिना दृढं शिरोगतेनोदयपर्वतो यथा

Transliteration

vinā kirīṭaṁ śuśubhe sa pārthaḥ śyāmo yuvā nīla ivoccacūḍraḥ | tataḥ samudgrathya sitena vāsasā svamūrdhajān vyathitas tadārjunaḥ | vibhāsitaḥ sūryamarīcinā dṛḍhaṁ śirogatenodayaparvato yathā ||

Translation

Sañjaya dit : Dépouillé de son diadème, ce fils de Pṛthā brillait—sombre de teint, dans la jeunesse—tel un haut sommet à crête bleue. Puis Arjuna, peiné d’avoir perdu l’ornement de sa tête, noua ses cheveux avec un linge blanc ; et, les rayons du soleil frappant son front, il flamboyait avec constance, comme une montagne à l’aurore dont la cime a saisi la lumière.

Word by Word

विनाwithout

किरीटम्crown/diadem

शुशुभेshone, looked splendid

सःhe

पार्थःson of Pritha (Arjuna)

श्यामःdark-complexioned

युवाyoung

नीलःblue/dark

इवlike, as if

उच्चशूड्रःa lofty-crested one (lit. high-topknot/crest)

ततःthen, thereafter

समुद्ग्रथ्यhaving tied up/fastened together

सितेनwith a white

वाससाcloth/garment

स्वमूर्धजान्his head-hairs

व्यथितःdistressed, pained

तदाat that time

अर्जुनःArjuna

विभासितःilluminated, made to shine

सूर्यमरीचिनाby a sun-ray

दृढम्firmly, strongly

शिरोगतेनby that which had reached the head / being on the head

उदयपर्वतःthe rising-mountain (eastern mountain)

यथाas, just as

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Arjuna (Pārtha)

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?

External emblems of status (like a diadem) may be lost in the upheaval of war, yet a warrior’s steadiness and adherence to duty can restore dignity; true radiance is shown through composure and resolve rather than ornament.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates that Arjuna appears without his diadem; distressed, he ties up his hair with a white cloth, and as sunlight falls on his head he shines like a mountain peak at sunrise.