Shloka 24

Devanagari script

सगदायोगुडप्रासान्‌ सर्ितोमरपट्टिशान्‌ | सभिन्दिपालपरिघान्‌ सशक्तिवरकम्पनान्‌,महाराज! अर्जुनकुमार अभिमन्युने आपके सहस्रों सैनिकोंकी उन भुजाओंको तुरंत काट डाला, जिनमें मनोहर सुगन्धयुक्त चन्दनका लेप लगा हुआ था। वीरोंकी उन भुजाओंमें गोहके चमड़ेसे बने हुए दस्ताने बँधे हुए थे। धनुष और बाण शोभा पाते थे। किन्हीं भुजाओंमें ढाल, तलवार, अंकुश और बागडोर दिखायी देती थीं। किन्हींमें तोमर और फरसे शोभा पाते थे। किन्हींमें गदा, लोहेकी गोलियाँ, प्रास, ऋष्टि, तोमर, पट्टिश, भिन्दिपाल, परिघ, श्रेष्ठ शक्ति, कम्पन, प्रतोद, महाशंख और कुन्त दृष्टिगोचर हो रहे थे। किन्हीं-किन्हीं भुजाओंने शत्रुओंकी चोटियाँ पकड़ रखी थीं। किन्हींमें मुदूगर फेंकनेयोग्य अन्यान्य अस्त्र, पाश, परिघ तथा प्रस्तरखण्ड दिखायी देते थे। वीरोंकी वे सभी भुजाएँ केयूर और अंगद आदि आभूषणोंसे विभूषित थीं

Transliteration

sa-gadāyogūḍa-prāsān sar-ṛṣṭi-tomara-paṭṭiśān | sa-bhindipāla-parighān sa-śakti-vara-kampanān, mahārāja |

Translation

Sañjaya said: “O King, Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna, swiftly hewed down the arms of your thousands of warriors—arms that bore maces, heavy clubs, spears, lances, javelins, battle-axes, bhindipālas, iron bars, and mighty śaktis, along with the famed weapon called Kampana. The verse underscores the grim momentum of battle: weapons meant to uphold a warrior’s duty in combat become, in an instant, the very marks by which he is struck down. It presents the ethical tension of kṣatriya-dharma—valor and skill displayed amid relentless destruction.”

Word by Word

सगदायोगुडप्रासान्maces, iron-balls, and spears

सऋष्टितोमरपट्टिशान्lances, javelins, and battle-axes

सभिन्दिपालपरिघान्bhindipālas and iron bars/clubs

सशक्तिवरकम्पनान्spears and excellent ‘kampana’ weapons

महाराजO great king

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Abhimanyu

Arjuna

gadā

yogūḍa

prāsa

Ṛ

ṛṣṭi

tomara

paṭṭiśa

bhindipāla

parigha

śakti

kampana

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 paradox of kṣatriya-dharma: warriors bear weapons as instruments of duty and honor, yet those very signs of martial identity become entangled with sudden loss and death. It invites reflection on the ethical weight of war—valor is real, but so is the devastation it produces.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Abhimanyu, Arjuna’s son, is cutting down the arms of many of the king’s soldiers. The verse emphasizes the variety of weapons those warriors carried, underscoring Abhimanyu’s ferocity and skill amid the chaos of battle.