Shloka 21

Sātyaki-praveśaḥ and Duryodhana-saṃnipātaḥ

Sātyaki’s passage and Duryodhana’s mass engagement

Devanagari script

निर्मलानामजिद्दानां नाराचानां विशाम्पते

Transliteration

nirmalānām ajiddānāṁ nārācānāṁ viśāmpate

Translation

Sañjaya berkata: “Wahai pelindung rakyat, di medan itu digunakan anak panah nārāca yang bening tanpa cela, tak pernah meleset, dan seakan tak tertahan—seolah mustahil untuk dibendung.”

Word by Word

• निर्मलानाम्: of spotless/pure
• निर्मलानाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्मल
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• अजिद्दानाम्: of the Ajidda-s (a class/epithet; proper/group name)
• अजिद्दानाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: अजिद्द
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• नाराचानाम्: of iron arrows
• नाराचानाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाराच
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• विशाम्: of the people/subjects
• विशाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

• पते: O lord
• पते: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• nārāca arrows

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the terrifying efficiency of perfected weaponry in war: when arms become “spotless” and “irresistible,” destruction accelerates, underscoring the ethical weight borne by rulers who choose or prolong battle.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya, reporting the battlefield to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, describes the use of powerful nārāca arrows—portraying the intensity of the fighting and the lethal quality of the missiles being discharged.