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

संजय बोले— गर्वीला और आत्मविश्वासी, अस्त्र-विद्या में पूर्ण प्रशिक्षित तथा हस्तयुद्ध में निपुण, वह प्रचण्ड योद्धा था—दिव्यास्त्रों का ज्ञाता, सुचालित घोड़े-सा वेगवान, और रण में शत्रुओं को चूर करने में समर्थ।

Word by Word

• मानी: proud, self-respecting
• मानी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कृतास्त्रः: one who has prepared/armed himself with weapons
• कृतास्त्रः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृतास्त्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कृतहस्तयोगः: one whose hand-application/skill is perfected; well-trained in handling (weapons)
• कृतहस्तयोगः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृतहस्तयोग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दिव्यास्त्रविच्छुवेतहयः: whose horses are (as if) scattered/struck by divine missiles (i.e., having horses affected by divine weapons)
• दिव्यास्त्रविच्छुवेतहयः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्यास्त्र-विच्छुवेत-हय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रमाथी: crusher, overpowering, devastating
• प्रमाथी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रमाथिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya

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.