Shloka 36

Devanagari script

तेषामापततामेव शिलायुद्ध॑ं चिकीर्षताम्‌ । सात्यकि: प्रतिसंधाय निशितान्‌ प्राहिणोच्छरान्‌

Transliteration

teṣām āpatatām eva śilāyuddhaṁ cikīrṣatām | sātyakiḥ pratisaṁdhāya niśitān prāhiṇoc charān ||

Translation

彼らが石で戦おうと突進してくるや、サーティヤキは狙いを定め、研ぎ澄ました矢を彼らに放った。

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• आपतताम्: of those attacking/falling upon
• आपतताम्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + पत्
• Form: Present active participle, Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• शिला-युद्धम्: stone-fighting (fight with stones)
• शिला-युद्धम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिला + युद्ध
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• चिकीर्षताम्: of those wishing to do/undertake
• चिकीर्षताम्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (desiderative: चिकीर्ष)
• Form: Desiderative present active participle, Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• सात्यकिः: Satyaki
• सात्यकिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सात्यकि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रतिसंधाय: having aimed/fixed (on the target)
• प्रतिसंधाय: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति + सं + धा
• Form: Absolutive (gerund), Parasmaipada, Prior action

• निशितान्: sharpened/keen
• निशितान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निशित
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• प्राहिणोत्: sent/shot forth
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + हि
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• शरान्: arrows
• शरान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Sātyaki
• arrows (śara)
• stones (śilā)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights battlefield dharma as practiced: when opponents rush in with improvised violence (stone-fighting), a trained warrior responds with focused aim and effective force. It underscores the grim moral tension of war—discipline and skill are used not for display, but to neutralize immediate threat.

What is happening in the narrative?

As certain fighters charge forward intending to engage in a stone-fight, Sātyaki quickly takes aim and shoots sharpened arrows at them, checking their advance.