Shloka 21

Adhyāya 290: Kuntī’s Mantra-Parīkṣā and the Appearance of Sūrya (कुन्ती–सूर्यसंवादः)

Devanagari script

स राममुद्दिश्य शरैस्ततो दत्तवरैस्तदा

Transliteration

sa rāmam uddiśya śarais tato dattavarais tadā

Translation

Kemudian ia membidik Rāma dan melepaskan anak panah—yang saat itu diperkasa oleh anugerah-anugerah yang telah diterimanya—hingga pertikaian naik ke tingkat yang seakan disahkan ilahi namun sarat beban moral.

Word by Word

सःhe

रामम्Rama (as the object/target)

उद्दिश्यhaving aimed at / addressing / intending

शरैःwith arrows

ततःthen / thereafter / from there

दत्तवरैःwith boons that had been granted (i.e., by granted boons)

तदाat that time / then

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Rāma

arrows (śara)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Power gained through boons or special endowments intensifies responsibility: when conflict is pursued with extraordinary means, the ethical weight of intention (uddiśya) and restraint in battle becomes even more significant within a dharmic framework.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya describes a moment in which a combatant turns his attention specifically to Rāma and shoots arrows, relying on previously granted boons—indicating a decisive, empowered attack directed at a central figure.