Shloka 24

Devanagari script

शैनेयस्तव पुत्र तु हत्वा पडचभिराशुगै:

Transliteration

śaineyas tava putraṁ tu hatvā pañcabhir āśugaiḥ

Translation

Sañjaya said: Śaineya, having slain your son with five swift arrows, pressed the attack—an episode that underscores the ruthless momentum of battle, where personal grief and royal duty collide amid the larger demands of war.

Word by Word

• शैनेयः: Śaineya (son of Śini; i.e., Sātyaki)
• शैनेयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैनेय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तव: your
• तव: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• पुत्रम्: son
• पुत्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु
• Form: true

• हत्वा: having slain/killed
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada, —, —, —

• पदातिभिः: with foot-soldiers/infantrymen
• पदातिभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पदाति
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• आशुगैः: swift/rapid
• आशुगैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आशुग
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Śaineya (Sātyaki)
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by 'tava')
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra's son (unnamed here)
• arrows

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the harsh ethical tension of kṣatriya warfare: even when actions are strategically justified, they generate personal loss and moral weight, reminding the listener that victory in war is inseparable from suffering.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Śaineya (Sātyaki) has killed one of Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons using five swift arrows, marking a decisive moment in the ongoing combat.