Shloka 71

Adhyāya 141 — Night duels: Śaineya and Bhūriśravas; Droṇi and Ghaṭotkaca; Bhīma and Duryodhana

Devanagari script

स धनु: सूतपुत्रस्य सज्यं छित्ता महानसि:

Transliteration

sa dhanuḥ sūtaputrasya sajyaṃ chittvā mahān asi

Translation

ಸಂಜಯನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಹೇ ಮಹಾಬಾಹೋ! ಸೂತಪುತ್ರನ ಸಜ್ಜಾಗಿ ಸನ್ನದ್ಧವಾಗಿದ್ದ ಧನುಸ್ಸನ್ನು ಕತ್ತರಿಸಿ ನೀನು ನಿಜಕ್ಕೂ ಮಹಾನ್ ಎಂಬುದನ್ನು ತೋರಿಸಿದ್ದೀ.

Word by Word

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

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

• सूतपुत्रस्य: of the charioteer’s son (Karna)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूतपुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• सज्यम्: strung (with the bowstring on)
• सज्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सज्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• छित्त्वा: having cut/broken
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund)

• महानसि: O great-armed one / O mighty one
• Type: Noun
• Root: महानसि
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Sūtaputra (Karna)
• bow (dhanuḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ideal of martial excellence and decisive action in battle: disabling an opponent by severing a weapon at the moment it is ready underscores mastery, courage, and the harsh ethical reality of war where skill can determine destiny.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a battlefield feat in which the bow belonging to the ‘charioteer’s son’ (Karna) is cut while strung, and he praises the doer as ‘great’ for accomplishing such a difficult act amid combat.