Shloka 34

भूरिश्रवसः गर्हा, प्रायोपवेशः, सात्यकिकृतशिरच्छेदः

Bhūriśravas’s Censure, Prāyopaveśa, and Sātyaki’s Beheading

Devanagari script

रुक्मध्वजो रुक्मपृष्ठं महद्‌ विस्फार्य कार्मुकम्‌

Transliteration

rukmadhvajo rukmapṛṣṭhaṃ mahad visphārya kārmukam

Translation

サञ्जयは語った。ルクマドヴァジャは、黄金の背を持つ大弓を引き絞り、いっぱいに張りつめて、次なる戦の所作に備えた――戦の道義の重みの中で、武器と身体を規律によって制することで武勇を示す、武者の決意の姿であった。

Word by Word

• रुक्मध्वजः: he whose banner is golden
• रुक्मध्वजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुक्मध्वज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• रुक्मपृष्ठम्: gold-backed (golden-backed)
• रुक्मपृष्ठम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुक्मपृष्ठ
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• महत्: great, large
• महत्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• विस्फार्य: having stretched/drawn (fully)
• विस्फार्य: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि+स्फुर्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund)

• कार्मुकम्: bow
• कार्मुकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्मुक
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Rukmadhvaja
• bow (kārmuka)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the disciplined readiness of a warrior: strength is shown not merely by violence but by controlled preparation and mastery of arms, set against the larger ethical tension of dharma operating within war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a warrior called Rukmadhvaja taking up his great, gold-adorned bow and drawing it to full stretch, signaling imminent action in the ongoing battle scene of the Droṇa Parva.