Shloka 8

Devanagari script

महाबली शिखण्डीने युद्धस्थलमें वेगशाली बाह्लीकको मर्मस्थानों और हड्डियोंको विदीर्ण कर देनेवाले भयंकर तीखे बाणोंद्वारा गहरी चोट पहुँचायी ।। बाह्लीको याज्ञसेनिं तु हेमपुड्खै: शिलाशितै: । आजयचघान भृशं क्रुद्धो नवभिर्नतपर्वभि:,इससे बाह्लीक अत्यन्त कुपित हो उठे। उन्होंने शानपर तेज किये हुए सुवर्णमय पंखसे युक्त और झुकी हुई गाँठवाले नौ बाणोंद्वारा शिखण्डीको घायल कर दिया

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | bāhlīko yājñaseniṁ tu hemapuṅkhaiḥ śilāśitaiḥ | ājau jaghāna bhṛśaṁ kruddho navabhir nataparvabhiḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Then Bāhlīka, enraged, struck Yājñaseni (Śikhaṇḍī) fiercely in the battle with nine arrows—stone-whetted, razor-sharp, and fitted with golden fletching—each with bent joints. The exchange shows how, in the fury of war, prowess and anger drive warriors to target vital points, intensifying the cycle of retaliation on the battlefield.

Word by Word

बाह्लीकःBāhlīka

याज्ञसेनिम्Yājñaseni (Śikhaṇḍin)

तुbut/indeed

हेमपुङ्खैःwith golden-feathered (arrows)

शिलाशितैःstone-whetted/sharpened on a whetstone

आजघानstruck/smote

भृशम्violently/exceedingly

क्रुद्धःenraged

नवभिःwith nine

नतपर्वभिःwith bent-jointed (arrows)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Bāhlīka

Yājñaseni (Śikhaṇḍī)

arrows (hemapuṅkha, śilāśita, nataparvan)

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 how anger (krodha) escalates violence in war: even within kṣatriya duty, wrath fuels harsher blows and deepens the chain of retaliation, reminding readers that inner passions shape outward action and its consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the midst of battle, Bāhlīka becomes furious and shoots Śikhaṇḍī (called Yājñaseni) with nine extremely sharp, gold-fletched arrows, wounding him severely.