Shloka 26

Devanagari script

ततः पार्थों धनुस्तस्य भल्लेन निशितेन ह । चिच्छेदेकेन भूयश्व हस्तावापमथाहरत्‌,तब अर्जुनने एक तीखे भल्ल नामक बाणद्धारा कृपाचार्यका धनुष काट डाला और पुनः उनके दस्तानेको नष्ट कर दिया

Transliteration

tataḥ pārtho dhanus tasya bhallena niśitena ha | cicchedaikena bhūyaś ca hastāvāpam athāharat ||

Translation

ヴァイシャンパーヤナは語った。するとパールタ（アルジュナ）は、鋭利なバッラの矢をただ一本放って、クリパアーチャーリヤの弓を断ち切った。さらに続けて射て、手を守る護具までも打ち砕いた。この場面は、戦場におけるアルジュナの制御された達人ぶりを示す—年長の師を無益に殺めることなく武器を奪い、優越を示しつつも過度の害を慎んだのである。

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

पार्थःPartha (Arjuna)

धनुःbow

तस्यof him

भल्लेनwith a bhalla-arrow

निशितेनsharp, whetted

हindeed (emphatic particle)

चिच्छेदcut, severed

एकेनwith one (single arrow)

भूयःagain, further

चand

हस्तौtwo hands

आपम्hand-guard/arm-protector (āpa)

अथthen

अहरत्struck/removed (lit. carried off)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Pārtha (Arjuna)

Kṛpācārya

dhanuḥ (bow)

bhalla (arrow)

hastāvāpa (hand-guards/arm-guards)

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?

Even in warfare, power should be governed by restraint and discernment: Arjuna demonstrates superiority by disarming and disabling rather than pursuing needless killing, aligning martial excellence with ethical control.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna (Pārtha) shoots a sharp bhalla-arrow that severs Kṛpācārya’s bow, and then strikes again to destroy his protective hand-guards, effectively neutralizing him in combat.