Shloka 26

Devanagari script

ततः पूर्णायतोत्सूष्टैरिषुभिर्नतपर्वभि:

Transliteration

tataḥ pūrṇāyatotsṛṣṭair iṣubhir nataparvabhiḥ

Translation

Sañjaya said: Then, with arrows drawn to their full length and released, their joints bent from the force, the battle pressed forward—an image of relentless martial resolve where skill and intent converge in the harsh ethics of war.

Word by Word

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततस्
• Form: Avyaya (ablatival adverb: 'from that/then')

• पूर्णायत: fully drawn out (i.e., shot with full draw)
• पूर्णायत: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्णायत
• Form: Masculine, instrumental plural (agreeing with इषुभिः)

• उत्सूष्टैः: discharged; shot forth
• उत्सूष्टैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्सूष्ट
• Form: Masculine, instrumental plural (agreeing with इषुभिः); past passive participle from √सूष्/√सृज् in sense 'discharged/shot forth'

• इषुभिः: with arrows
• इषुभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: इषु
• Form: Masculine, instrumental plural

• नतपर्वभिः: having bent joints/knots (i.e., curved/with flexed segments)
• नतपर्वभिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नतपर्वन्
• Form: Masculine, instrumental plural (agreeing with इषुभिः)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• arrows (iṣu)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the disciplined, deliberate nature of combat—actions are not random but executed with full intent and trained control, reflecting the severe demands of kṣatriya-dharma while implicitly reminding that power must be governed by responsibility.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a surge in the fighting: warriors draw their bows to the full and release arrows with such force that the arrows’ joints appear bent, emphasizing intensity, precision, and the escalating violence of the battlefield.