Shloka 46

Devanagari script

अद्याहमनृण: कृष्ण भविष्यामि धनुर्भुताम्‌

Transliteration

adyāham anṛṇaḥ kṛṣṇa bhaviṣyāmi dhanurbhṛtām

Translation

Sañjaya said: “Today, O Kṛṣṇa, I shall be free of my debt to the bow-bearing warriors.” In the heat of battle, the speaker frames his resolve as a moral settling of obligation—an assertion that he will finally repay what is due to the martial community through decisive action and fulfilled duty.

Word by Word

• अद्य: today
• अद्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य
• Form: Avyaya (time adverb)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Gender: —, Case: Nominative, Number: Singular

• अनृणः: free from debt/obligation
• अनृणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनृण
• Form: Gender: Masculine, Case: Nominative, Number: Singular

• कृष्णम्: Krishna
• कृष्णम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण
• Form: Gender: Masculine, Case: Accusative, Number: Singular

• भविष्यामि: I shall become / I will be
• भविष्यामि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Tense: Simple Future (Luṭ), Person: 1st, Number: Singular, Voice: Parasmaipada

• धनुःभृताम्: of the bow-bearers (archers)
• धनुःभृताम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुःभृत्
• Form: Gender: Masculine, Case: Genitive, Number: Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Kṛṣṇa
• dhanurbhṛt (bow-bearing warriors/archers)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical idea of ṛṇa (obligation) and anṛṇatā (being debt-free): one should strive to discharge duties owed to one’s role and community. In a martial context, it expresses commitment to fulfill kṣatriya responsibility and restore honor through action.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the midst of the Kurukṣetra war narration, Sañjaya reports a warrior’s determined declaration addressed to Kṛṣṇa: that on this very day he will ‘become anṛṇa’—i.e., repay or settle what he owes to the fraternity of bowmen—by performing decisive deeds in battle.