Shloka 54

Devanagari script

तमायान्तं शरं घोरं शकुनि: शत्रुतापन:

Transliteration

tam āyāntaṃ śaraṃ ghoraṃ śakuniḥ śatrutāpanaḥ

Translation

សញ្ជ័យបាននិយាយ៖ ឃើញព្រួញដ៏គួរឱ្យភ័យខ្លាចនោះហោះមករកខ្លួន សកុនិ—អ្នកល្បីថាជាអ្នកបង្កទុក្ខដល់សត្រូវ—បានប្រឈមមុខនឹងគ្រោះថ្នាក់ដែលកំពុងមកដល់ ក្នុងល្បឿនដ៏សាហាវនៃសង្គ្រាម ដែលទាំងល្បិចកល និងសេចក្តីក្លាហានត្រូវបានសាកល្បង។

Word by Word

तम्him

आयान्तम्coming, approaching

शरम्arrow

घोरम्terrible, dreadful

शकुनिःShakuni

शत्रुतापनःenemy-scorching (one who torments enemies)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Śakuni

arrow (śara)

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?

The verse highlights the immediacy of consequences in war: actions (like releasing an arrow) rapidly become unavoidable realities for the target. It also underscores how reputation—here, Śakuni as a 'tormentor of foes'—is measured against sudden danger, reminding readers that in conflict, both strategy and personal resolve are continually tested.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates a battlefield moment in which a terrifying arrow is seen rushing toward Śakuni. The line sets up the next action—how Śakuni responds to the incoming missile—within the larger combat sequence of the Karṇa Parva.