Shloka 121

Adhyāya 141 — Night duels: Śaineya and Bhūriśravas; Droṇi and Ghaṭotkaca; Bhīma and Duryodhana

Devanagari script

ततः सुवर्णपृष्ठानां चापानां कूजतां रणे

Transliteration

tataḥ suvarṇapṛṣṭhānāṃ cāpānāṃ kūjatāṃ raṇe

Translation

Sañjaya said: Then, on the battlefield, the bows with golden backs began to resound—an ominous, stirring music of war that signals the warriors’ resolve and the irreversible momentum of violence once arms are drawn.

Word by Word

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: अव्यय (तसिल्-प्रत्ययः)

• सुवर्णपृष्ठानाम्: of gold-backed (ones)
• सुवर्णपृष्ठानाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुवर्णपृष्ठ (प्रातिपदिकम्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• चापानाम्: of bows
• चापानाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: चाप (प्रातिपदिकम्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• कूजताम्: of (those) sounding/twang-ing
• कूजताम्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: कूज् (धातुः)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले, शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (परस्मैपदी), षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण (प्रातिपदिकम्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• gold-backed bows
• battlefield (raṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how quickly conflict becomes irreversible once weapons are taken up: the very sound of bows twanging marks a collective commitment to battle, reminding readers of the grave ethical weight of initiating violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes the battlefield atmosphere: gold-adorned bows are being drawn and released, producing a loud twanging/resounding that signals the onset or intensification of fighting.