Shloka 16

Devanagari script

सोअन्यत्‌ कार्मुकमादाय पौरवं निशितै: शरै: । आजपघान महाराज त्रिसप्तत्या शिलीमुखै:

Transliteration

so 'nyat kārmukam ādāya pauravaṁ niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ | ājaghāna mahārāja trisaptatyā śilīmukhaiḥ ||

Translation

ສັນຊະຍະກ່າວວ່າ: ແລ້ວເຂົາໄດ້ຈັບຄັນທະນູອີກອັນໜຶ່ງ ແລະ—ໂອ ພຣະມະຫາກະສັດ—ໄດ້ຈົ່ມຕີຝ່າຍເປົາຣະວະດ້ວຍລູກສອນຄົມກະລຸນາ ຍິງຖືກເຂົາດ້ວຍລູກສອນຫົວກວ້າງ 73 ດອກ.

Word by Word

सःhe

अन्यत्another

कार्मुकम्bow

आदायhaving taken

पौरवम्of the Pauravas (Puru-line), Paurava

निशितैःsharp

शरैःwith arrows

अजपघानAjapaghāna (proper name/epithet, the target)

महाराजO great king

त्रिसप्तत्याwith seventy-three

शिलीमुखैःwith broad-headed arrows

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Paurava

kārmuka (bow)

śara (arrows)

śilīmukha (broad-headed arrows)

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 does not teach doctrine directly; it highlights the kṣatriya sphere where duty is enacted through disciplined skill and endurance. Ethically, it frames war as a domain of relentless escalation, inviting reflection on the cost of prowess when directed toward harm.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that a warrior takes up another bow and strikes a Paurava opponent with sharp arrows, specifically seventy-three broad-headed shafts, indicating an intense exchange in the battle.