Shloka 10

Devanagari script

ते वर्म हेमविकृतं भित्त्वा तस्य महात्मन: । शोणिताक्ता व्यराजन्त शक्रगोपा इवानघ,निष्पाप नरेश! वे बाण महामना धृष्टद्युम्नके सुवर्णनिर्मित कवचको छेदकर उनके रक्तसे रंजित हो इन्द्रगोप (वीरबहूटी) नामक कीड़ोंके समान सुशोभित होने लगे

Transliteration

te varma hemavikṛtaṁ bhittvā tasya mahātmanaḥ | śoṇitāktā vyarājanta śakragopā ivānagha niṣpāpa nareśa |

Translation

Sañjaya said: Having pierced the golden, finely wrought armour of that great-souled warrior, those arrows—smeared with blood—shone forth like indragopa insects. O blameless king, the scene underscores the grim splendour of battle: even noble heroes, protected by splendid gear, are made vulnerable by fate and martial skill, and the battlefield’s beauty is inseparable from its violence.

Word by Word

तेthose (arrows)

वर्मarmor

हेमविकृतम्fashioned/ornamented with gold

भित्त्वाhaving pierced/broken through

तस्यof him

महात्मनःof the great-souled one

शोणिताक्ताःsmeared with blood

विराजन्तshone, appeared splendid

शक्रगोपाःindragopa insects (cochineal-like red insects)

इवlike, as

अनघO sinless one

निष्पापO blameless one

नरेशO king

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛṣṭadyumna

arrows (bāṇa)

golden armour/cuirass (hema-varman/varma)

Indragopa insects (śakragopa)

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 paradox of war: splendour and skill coexist with suffering. Even the ‘great-souled’ are not immune to injury; martial excellence and destiny can overcome the finest protections, reminding the listener of the cost inherent in kṣatriya warfare.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes arrows that have pierced a noble warrior’s golden armour (contextually identified as Dhṛṣṭadyumna). Stained with blood, the arrows gleam red, compared to indragopa insects, emphasizing both the vividness and brutality of the battlefield.