Shloka 17

Devanagari script

अथापराशभ्यां भल्लाभ्यां शिताभ्यामरिमर्दन: । ध्वजमेकेन चिच्छेद पा्णिमेकेन सारथिम्‌

Transliteration

athāparāśabhyāṃ bhallābhyāṃ śitābhyām arimardanaḥ | dhvajam ekena ciccheda pāṇim ekena sārathim ||

Translation

サンジャヤは言った。「ついで敵を砕くその勇士は、鋭いバッラ矢を二本放ち、一矢で軍旗を断ち、もう一矢で御者の腕を斬り落とした。」

Word by Word

अथthen

अपरwith two other

अश्वभ्याम्with two horses

भल्लाभ्याम्with two barbed arrows

शिताभ्याम्sharp

अरिमर्दनःthe enemy-crusher (hero)

ध्वजम्banner/standard

एकेनwith one (arrow)

चिच्छेदcut off / severed

पाणिम्hand

एकेनwith one (arrow)

सारथिम्charioteer

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

स

संजय (Sañjaya)

arimardana (epithet of a warrior)

dhvaja (chariot-banner/standard)

sārathi (charioteer)

bhalla arrows

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how, in a dharmic war context, martial excellence is expressed through targeted action: cutting the banner (a symbol of command and morale) and disabling the charioteer (a functional support) to neutralize an opponent. It reflects the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension between heroic skill and the harsh ethical weight of violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a warrior (called ‘arimardana’) using two sharp arrows: one severs the enemy’s chariot-banner, and the other strikes the charioteer’s arm, impairing the chariot’s control and signaling a tactical advantage in the ongoing battle.