Shloka 122

Devanagari script

स छिन्नधन्वा बलवान्‌ रथशरक्ति सुदारुणाम्‌

Transliteration

sa chinnadhanvā balavān rathaśaraktī sudāruṇām

Translation

Sañjaya said: Though his bow had been cut down, the mighty warrior still unleashed a terribly fierce assault from his chariot—an act that underscores the relentless momentum of battle, where valor persists even after a key weapon is lost.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• छिन्नधन्वा: whose bow is cut/broken
• छिन्नधन्वा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: छिन्नधन्वन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• बलवान्: mighty/strong
• बलवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• रथशरक्तिम्: a chariot-lance (a spear used from a chariot)
• रथशरक्तिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथशरक्ति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• सुदारुणाम्: very dreadful/terrible
• सुदारुणाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुदारुण
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• chariot (ratha)
• arrows (śara)
• bow (dhanus)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even when a crucial support is lost (here, the bow), steadfast courage and resolve can continue; in the epic’s ethical frame, this reflects the kṣatriya ideal of not retreating from a righteous battlefield, while also highlighting the grim cost and intensity of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that a powerful fighter, despite having his bow severed, continues the fight from his chariot by launching a very fierce attack with arrows/weapon-casting, emphasizing the escalating ferocity of the Drona Parva battle.