Shloka 53
Devanagari script
निमेषार्धेन कौन्तेय आत्तमात्तं महारणे
Transliteration
nimeṣārdhena kaunteya āttamāttaṃ mahāraṇe
Translation
Sañjaya said: “O son of Kuntī, in the great battle, in less than half a blink of an eye, the seized weapon was seized away (in turn).”
Word by Word
निमेषार्धेनby (in) half a blink
निमेषार्धेन:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootनिमेषार्ध
FormNeuter, Instrumental, Singular
कौन्तेयO son of Kunti
कौन्तेय:
TypeNoun
Rootकौन्तेय
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
आत्तम्seized, taken up
आत्तम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootआत्त
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
आत्तम्seized, taken up
आत्तम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootआत्त
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
महारणेin the great battle
महारणे:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootमहारण
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular
Speaker
संजय उवाच
Characters & Entities
S
SañjayaK
Kaunteya (Arjuna)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Cross References
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the razor-fast reversals possible in righteous combat: skill, alertness, and presence of mind can instantly overturn advantage. Ethically, it underscores the seriousness of kṣatriya duty—battle is not mere violence but a disciplined arena where mastery and restraint matter.
Sañjaya describes a moment in the battle where, almost instantaneously, a weapon that had been seized is seized back—conveying the speed and intensity of the duel and the exceptional martial prowess of the fighters involved.