Shloka 13

Adhyāya 6: Śibira-dvāra-sthita Bhūta-varṇana and Aśvatthāmā’s Śaraṇāgati to Mahādeva

Devanagari script

सा तमाहत्य दीप्ताग्रा रथशक्तिरदीर्यत

Transliteration

sā tam āhatya dīptāgrā rathaśaktir adīryata

Translation

Sañjaya dit : L’ayant frappé, cette lance de char—à la pointe flamboyante—fut projetée plus avant.

Word by Word

• सा: she
• सा: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आहत्य: having struck / having smitten
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-हन् (हन्)
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage), Non-finite

• दीप्ताग्रा: having a blazing point/tip
• दीप्ताग्रा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीप्त-अग्र (दीप्त + अग्र)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• रथशक्तिः: the chariot-spear (a spear kept on a chariot)
• रथशक्तिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ-शक्ति (शक्ति)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• अदीर्यत: was hurled / shot forth
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-दीर् (दीर्/दीर्यते)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), Atmanepada, 3rd, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• rathaśakti (chariot-spear)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how warfare tends to escalate: even after a successful strike, the weapon’s onward flight symbolizes the continuing force of aggression and the moral danger of retaliation that keeps conflict moving forward.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Sañjaya’s narration of the Sauptika events, a blazing-tipped chariot-spear strikes its target and then continues to be hurled onward, emphasizing the intensity and speed of combat in the night-time slaughter.