Shloka 19

Book 9 (Śalya-parva), Adhyāya 13 — Arjuna’s Arrow-storm and the Drauṇi Confrontation

Devanagari script

स सात्यके: प्रचिच्छेद क्षुरप्रेण महद्‌ धनु:

Transliteration

sa sātyakeḥ praciccheda kṣurapreṇa mahad dhanuḥ

Translation

サンジャヤは言った。剃刀の刃のごとき矢で、彼はサーティヤキの大弓を断ち切った。

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सात्यकेः: of Sātyaki
• सात्यकेः: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: सात्यकि
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• प्रचिच्छेद: cut off / severed
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• क्षुरप्रेण: with a razor(-edged) arrow
• क्षुरप्रेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षुरप्र
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

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

• धनुः: bow
• धनुः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Sātyaki
• bow (dhanuḥ)
• razor-edged arrow (kṣurapra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a key battlefield ethic within kṣatriya-dharma: victory is pursued through skillful neutralization of an opponent’s capacity to fight (here, by severing the bow), not only through inflicting injury—showing how martial prowess and tactical restraint can intersect in war.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Sañjaya’s report of the battle, a warrior uses a razor-edged arrow to slice through Sātyaki’s large bow, effectively disarming him and altering the immediate balance of the duel.