Shloka 40

Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 29 — Arjuna’s defeat of Vṛṣaka–Acalā and the neutralization of Śakuni’s māyā

Devanagari script

ततः पार्थो महाबाहुरसम्भ्रान्तो महामना: । कुम्भयोरन्तरे नागं नाराचेन समार्पयत्‌,तत्पश्चात्‌ महाबाहु महामना पार्थने बिना किसी घबराहटके हाथीके कुम्भस्थलमें एक नाराचका प्रहार किया

Transliteration

tataḥ pārtho mahābāhur asambhrānto mahāmanāḥ | kumbhayor antare nāgaṃ nārācena samārpayat ||

Translation

Kemudian Pārtha (Arjuna), yang berlengan perkasa, tetap tenang dan berhati agung, menghantam gajah itu di antara kedua pelipisnya dengan sebuah anak panah nārāca.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

पार्थःPartha (Arjuna)

महाबाहुःmighty-armed

असम्भ्रान्तःunperturbed, unconfused

महामनाःgreat-souled, high-minded

कुम्भयोःin/at the (two) temples (of the elephant)

अन्तरेin the middle, between

नागम्elephant

नाराचेनwith a narāca (iron arrow/shaft)

समार्पयत्he struck/placed (i.e., delivered a blow)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Pārtha (Arjuna)

nāga (war-elephant)

nārāca (arrow)

kumbhasthala (elephant’s temples)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights steadiness (asambhrānta) and disciplined intent in action: even amid violence, a warrior is expected to act with clarity and control, not fear or confusion—an ethical ideal within kṣatriya-dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Arjuna, remaining calm, shoots a powerful nārāca arrow at a war-elephant, striking it precisely between its temples—an image of battlefield prowess and tactical decisiveness.