Shloka 17

Devanagari script

यच्चास्य बाणविकृतं धनूंषि च विशाम्पते । सर्व चिच्छेद दुर्धर्षो गदां खड्गं च वर्जयन्‌

Transliteration

yaccāsya bāṇavikṛtaṃ dhanūṃṣi ca viśāmpate | sarvaṃ ciccheda durdharṣo gadāṃ khaḍgaṃ ca varjayan ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “O lord of the people, whatever of his bows had been damaged and distorted by arrows—those too the irresistible warrior cut to pieces entirely, yet he deliberately spared the mace and the sword.”

Word by Word

• यत्: whatever (that which)
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अस्य: of him
• अस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• बाण-विकृतम्: damaged by arrows
• बाण-विकृतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाण + विकृत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• धनूंषि: bows
• धनूंषि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• विशाम्-पते: O lord of the people
• विशाम्-पते: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun (Vocative epithet)
• Root: विश् + पति
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• सर्वम्: all (of it)
• सर्वम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• चिच्छेद: cut to pieces / severed
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• दुर्धर्षः: the irresistible one
• दुर्धर्षः: Karta
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: दुर्धर्ष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• गदाम्: mace
• गदाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• खड्गम्: sword
• खड्गम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: खड्ग
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• वर्जयन्: avoiding / leaving aside
• Type: Verb (participle)
• Root: वर्ज्
• Form: Present active (Śatṛ), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by viśāmpate)
• bows (dhanūṃṣi)
• arrows (bāṇa)
• mace (gadā)
• sword (khaḍga)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid violence, the verse highlights deliberate restraint: the warrior destroys what is tactically necessary (bows) while sparing other weapons (mace and sword), suggesting controlled force rather than indiscriminate destruction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that an “irresistible” fighter is cutting apart the opponent’s bows, including those already warped by arrows, but intentionally does not cut the opponent’s mace and sword.