Shloka 231

Devanagari script

तस्याभिपतततस्तूर्ण गदाहस्तस्य संयुगे । गदां सर्वायसी पार्थ: शरैश्षिच्छेद सप्तधा

Transliteration

tasyābhipatatastūrṇaṃ gadāhastasya saṃyuge | gadāṃ sarvāyasīṃ pārthaḥ śaraiś ciccheda saptadhā ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana said: As that mace-wielding warrior rushed swiftly forward in the thick of battle, Pārtha (Arjuna) cut his entirely iron mace into seven pieces with his arrows—an act that displays disciplined skill and measured force amid the chaos of combat.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine, genitive, singular

• अभिपततः: while (he was) rushing/charging (towards)
• अभिपततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-√पत्
• Form: present active participle (शतृ), masculine, genitive, singular

• तूर्णम्: swiftly
• तूर्णम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तूर्ण

• गदा-हस्तस्य: of (him) whose hand held a mace / of the mace-in-hand (one)
• गदा-हस्तस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा-हस्त
• Form: masculine, genitive, singular

• संयुगे: in battle
• संयुगे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संयुग
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

• गदाम्: the mace
• गदाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

• सर्वायसीम्: entirely of iron / all-iron
• सर्वायसीम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्वायसी
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

• पार्थः: Partha (Arjuna)
• पार्थः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• शरैः: with arrows
• शरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: masculine, instrumental, plural

• चिच्छेद: cut (asunder)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √छिद्
• Form: perfect (लिट्), 3rd, singular, parasmaipada

• सप्तधा: into seven parts / sevenfold
• सप्तधा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सप्तधा

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Pārtha (Arjuna)
• gadā (mace)
• śara (arrows)
• saṃyuga (battle)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in violent conflict, the epic highlights disciplined restraint and precision: strength is guided by skill and control, not by uncontrolled rage. The hero neutralizes a threat efficiently, minimizing prolonged harm.

What is happening in the narrative?

A mace-armed fighter charges quickly in battle. Arjuna responds by shooting arrows that sever the attacker’s iron mace into seven pieces, disarming him and shifting the momentum of the encounter.