Shloka 40

द्रौणि-पार्षतयोर्युद्धम् | The Duel of Aśvatthāmā

Drauṇi) and Dhṛṣṭadyumna (Pārṣata

Devanagari script

स भीम॑ नवभिर्बाणैरश्वानष्टभितर्पयत्‌

Transliteration

sa bhīmaṁ navabhir bāṇair aśvān aṣṭabhir atarpayat

Translation

Ia menghantam Bhīma dengan sembilan anak panah, dan dengan delapan lagi ia menembus kuda-kudanya.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भीमः: Bhima
• भीमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नवभिः: with nine
• नवभिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नवन्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• बाणैः: arrows
• बाणैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• अश्वान्: horses
• अश्वान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अष्टभिः: with eight
• अष्टभिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टन्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• तर्पयत्: satisfied/appeased (i.e., struck down)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृप्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīma
• arrows (bāṇa)
• horses (aśva)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the harsh ethical reality of war: prowess is expressed not only by confronting the hero directly but also by disabling his support—here, the horses—showing how strategy and force operate within kṣatriya warfare even when it intensifies suffering.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that an unnamed warrior shoots Bhīma with nine arrows and then strikes the horses with eight arrows, aiming to weaken Bhīma’s mobility and combat effectiveness in the ongoing battle.