Shloka 36

Devanagari script

तस्य तान्‌ निध्नतः शत्रून्‌ हेमपृष्ठ महद्‌ धनु:

Transliteration

tasya tān nighnataḥ śatrūn hemapṛṣṭha mahad dhanuḥ

Translation

Sañjaya said: As he struck down those enemies, his great bow—gold-backed and splendid—stood out as the emblem of his relentless martial force, underscoring how the battle’s momentum was being driven by sheer prowess rather than restraint.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• तान्: those
• तान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• निध्नतः: while slaying
• निध्नतः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-हन्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• शत्रून्: enemies
• शत्रून्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत्रु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• हेमपृष्ठम्: gold-backed
• हेमपृष्ठम्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हेमपृष्ठ
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• धनुः: bow
• धनुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• enemies (śatravaḥ)
• gold-backed great bow (hemapṛṣṭha mahad dhanuḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how, in the war setting, power and weaponry become the visible instruments through which outcomes are forced. Ethically, it points to the tension between martial duty and the grim reality that victory is pursued through the destruction of opponents.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a warrior in the act of cutting down enemies; the focus falls on the warrior’s mighty, gold-adorned bow, emphasizing the intensity and effectiveness of his assault in the ongoing battle.