Shloka 16

Devanagari script

नातिक्रमेच्च मां पार्थो धनुष्पाणिमवस्थितम्‌ । जघने सर्वसैन्यानां शनैरश्वान्‌ प्रचोदय

Transliteration

nātikramec ca māṃ pārtho dhanuṣpāṇim avasthitam | jaghane sarvasainyānāṃ śanair aśvān pracodaya ||

Translation

હું ધનુષ હાથમાં લઈને તૈયાર ઊભો છું ત્યારે પાર્થ મને વટાવી ન જાય. બધી સેનાઓના પાછળથી ઘોડાઓને ધીમે ધીમે આગળ હંકાર।

Word by Word

नnot

अतिक्रमेत्should overstep / should pass beyond

चand

माम्me

पार्थःthe son of Pritha (Arjuna)

धनुष्पाणिम्one having a bow in hand (bow-armed)

अवस्थितम्standing / stationed

जघनेin the rear / at the back

सर्वसैन्यानाम्of all the armies

शनैःslowly / gradually

अश्वान्horses

प्रचोदयurge on / drive forward

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Pārtha (Arjuna)

bow (dhanuḥ)

horses (aśvāḥ)

armies (sainyāni)

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 battlefield discipline and strategic restraint: even amid fury, a warrior-leader must control pace and positioning, coordinating movement (horses, chariot, troops) rather than rushing into disadvantage.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Karṇa Parva battle setting, Sañjaya reports a command or intention: the speaker wants to avoid being overtaken by Arjuna while remaining poised with bow ready, and instructs the charioteer to advance the horses slowly from the rear of the armies, emphasizing tactical spacing and control.