Shloka 17

Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 155 — Ghaṭotkaca-nidhana-śoka and Karṇa-śakti-vyaya

Kṛṣṇa’s strategic reassurance

Devanagari script

रुक्मपुड्खै: प्रसन्नाग्रैस्तव पुत्रेण धन्विना

Transliteration

rukmapuḍkhaiḥ prasannāgrais tava putreṇa dhanvinā

Translation

サンジャヤは言った。「金で飾られた矢柄、鋭く整った鏃を備えた矢をもって、陛下の御子――弓の名手――はそのように為した。」

Word by Word

• रुक्मपुङ्खैः: with golden-feathered (arrows)
• रुक्मपुङ्खैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुक्मपुङ्ख
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• प्रसन्नाग्रैः: with sharp/bright-pointed (arrows)
• प्रसन्नाग्रैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रसन्नाग्र
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• तव: of you/your
• तव: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• पुत्रेण: by (your) son
• पुत्रेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• धन्विना: by the archer/bowman
• धन्विना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन्विन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by 'tava')
• your son (Duryodhana implied in context)
• arrows (śara)
• bow/archery (dhanus implied by 'dhanvin')

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in a war narrative, the text draws attention to intentionality: refined weapons and skilled archery signify deliberate, accountable action. Martial excellence amplifies moral responsibility—power and precision make one’s choices weightier, not lighter.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya continues his battlefield report to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, describing the use of gold-adorned, sharp-pointed arrows by the king’s son, emphasizing the archer’s capability and the intensity of the combat action being recounted.