Shloka 70

Devanagari script

अथान्येन सुपुड्खेन शरेणानतपर्वणा । आजलचघान भ्रुवोर्मध्ये धृष्टदुम्नं परंतप:

Transliteration

athānyena supuṅkhena śareṇānataparvaṇā | ājau jaghāna bhruvormadhye dhṛṣṭadyumnaṃ paraṃtapaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Then, with another arrow—well-feathered and unbroken at the joints—the mighty warrior struck Dhṛṣṭadyumna in the midst of his eyebrows on the battlefield. The scene underscores the relentless precision of war, where prowess and resolve, rather than moral hesitation, drive the combatants onward amid the larger struggle of dharma and destiny.

Word by Word

अथthen

अन्येनwith another

सुपुङ्खेनwith a well-feathered (arrow)

शरेणwith an arrow

अनतपर्वणाhaving unbent joints/segments (of the shaft)

अञ्जलिकघानthe slayer of Añjalika (i.e., Arjuna)

भ्रुवोःof the two eyebrows

मध्येin the middle

धृष्टद्युम्नम्Dhrishtadyumna

परंतपःthe scorcher of foes

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛṣṭadyumna

śara (arrow)

battlefield (āja)

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?

The verse highlights the harsh clarity of battlefield dharma: warriors act with unwavering skill and resolve, and outcomes hinge on discipline, precision, and destiny rather than sentiment. It invites reflection on how duty-driven action in war carries grave ethical weight even when performed according to one’s role.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports a specific combat moment: a powerful fighter (described as paraṃtapaḥ) shoots another, well-made arrow and hits Dhṛṣṭadyumna squarely between the eyebrows in the midst of battle.