Shloka 24

कर्णवधार्थं धनञ्जयस्य प्रतिज्ञा — Arjuna’s resolve for Karṇa’s defeat

Devanagari script

पादबन्धं ततश्षक्रे पाण्डव: परवीरहा । नागमस्त्रं महाराज सम्प्रकीर्य मुहुर्मुहु:,नरेश्वर! तदनन्तर शत्रुवीरोंका संहार करनेवाले पाण्डुनन्दन अर्जुनने बारंबार नागास्त्रका प्रयोग करके उन सबके पैर बाँध लिये

Transliteration

pādabandhaṃ tataḥ śakre pāṇḍavaḥ paravīrahā | nāgam astraṃ mahārāja samprakīrya muhur muhuḥ ||

Translation

नरेश्वर! तत्पश्चात् शत्रुवीरों का संहार करने वाले पाण्डुनन्दन अर्जुन ने बार-बार नागास्त्र का प्रयोग करके उन सबके पैर बाँध दिए।

Word by Word

पादबन्धम्binding of the feet

ततःthen, thereafter

चक्रेdid, made

पाण्डवःthe Pandava (Arjuna)

परवीरहाslayer of enemy-heroes

नागम्serpent (naga)

अस्त्रम्weapon, missile

महाराजO great king

सम्प्रकीर्यhaving scattered/shot forth

मुहुःagain and again

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (Mahārāja)

Arjuna (Pāṇḍava)

Nāgāstra (Nāga-weapon)

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?

Even in war, power is ideally applied with discernment: a warrior may choose restraint (immobilizing the foe) to achieve tactical aims and limit uncontrolled slaughter, aligning action with kṣatriya-duty and proportionality.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Arjuna repeatedly releases the Nāga-weapon and thereby binds the enemies’ feet, immobilizing them on the battlefield.