Shloka 68

Devanagari script

ततः पार्थो धनुश्कछित्त्वा विव्याधैनं स्तनान्तरे । सायकैर्नवभिरर्वीरस्त्वरमाणो धनंजय:,तदनन्तर कुन्तीकुमार वीर धनंजयने कर्णका धनुष काटकर बड़ी उतावलीके साथ उसकी छातीमें नौ बाणोंका प्रहार किया

Transliteration

tataḥ pārtho dhanuś chittvā vivyādha enaṃ stanāntare | sāyakair navabhir vīras tvaramāṇo dhanaṃjayaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Then Pārtha (Arjuna), cutting down his bow, swiftly struck him in the region of the chest with nine arrows. The act underscores the relentless momentum of battle, where a warrior’s duty (kṣatriya-dharma) demands decisive action against an armed opponent, even amid personal rivalries and moral strain.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

पार्थःPartha (Arjuna)

धनुःbow

छित्त्वाhaving cut (off), having broken

विव्याधpierced, struck

एनम्him

स्तनान्तरेin the space between the breasts (in the chest)

सायकैःwith arrows

नवभिःwith nine

अर्वीरःthe best of heroes

त्वरमाणःhastening, in great haste

धनंजयःDhananjaya (Arjuna)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Pārtha (Arjuna/Dhanañjaya)

bow (dhanuḥ)

arrows (sāyaka)

chest (stanāntara)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

In the battlefield context, the verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma: a warrior must act decisively against an active enemy. Ethical weight lies not in cruelty but in disciplined, duty-bound action within the rules and urgency of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates that Arjuna (Pārtha/Dhanañjaya) cuts down the opponent’s bow and immediately follows up by piercing him in the chest area with nine arrows, showing rapid tactical dominance.