Shloka 326

Adhyāya 40 (Book 7, Droṇa-parva): Abhimanyu’s Rapid Advance and Battlefield Disruption

Devanagari script

छित्त्वा धनूंषि शूराणामार्जुनि: कर्णमार्दयत्‌ । तत्पश्चात्‌ अर्जुनकुमारने सानपर चढ़ाकर तेज किये हुए झुकी हुई गाँठवाले तीखे भल्‍लोंद्वारा शूरवीरोंके धनुष काटकर कर्णको सब ओरसे पीड़ा दी

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | chittvā dhanūṃṣi śūrāṇām arjuniḥ karṇam ārdhayat |

Translation

Sañjaya said: Having cut the bows of the valiant warriors, Arjuna’s son pressed Karṇa hard. Thereafter, with sharpened, keen, knot-jointed arrows set upon the bowstring, he repeatedly severed the heroes’ bows and tormented Karṇa from every side—an image of relentless martial skill where prowess, not mercy, governs the moment on the battlefield.

Word by Word

• छित्त्वा: having cut
• छित्त्वा: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), कर्तरि, —, —, —

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

• शूराणाम्: of the heroes
• शूराणाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूर
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• अर्जुनिः: Arjuna (as agent)
• अर्जुनिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुनि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कर्णम्: Karna
• कर्णम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आर्दयत्: tormented / pained
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्द्
• Form: लङ् (imperfect), परस्मैपद, 3, Singular, कर्तरि

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Arjuna’s son (Arjuniḥ; commonly understood as Abhimanyu in this context)
• Karṇa
• bows (dhanuḥ)
• arrows (implied by chittvā and the Hindi gloss: bhalla/śara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds the battlefield ethic of kṣatriya-dharma: decisive action and mastery of weapons are praised in war, even when they cause suffering. It also highlights how tactical superiority—disarming by cutting bows—can be as decisive as direct killing, raising the ethical tension between duty in war and compassion.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Arjuna’s son overwhelming Karṇa: he cuts the bows of surrounding warriors and then, using sharp arrows, repeatedly severs bows and attacks from all sides, causing Karṇa intense distress amid the ongoing combat in Droṇa Parva.