Shloka 11

Devanagari script

सो<5तिविद्धो महेष्वास: सृक्किणी परिसंलिहन्‌ | शक्ति कनकवैदूर्यभूषितामायसीं दृढाम्‌

Transliteration

so 'tividdho maheṣvāsaḥ sṛkkīṇī parisaṃlihan | śaktiṃ kanakavaidūryabhūṣitām āyasīṃ dṛḍhām

Translation

അതിവിദ്ധനായി വേദനിച്ചിട്ടും ആ മഹാധനുര്ധരൻ അധരങ്ങളുടെ കോണുകൾ നക്കി, കനകവും വൈദൂര്യവും അലങ്കരിച്ച ദൃഢമായ ഇരുമ്പുശക്തി കൈപ്പിടിയിൽ എടുത്തു.

Word by Word

सःhe

अतिविद्धःpierced through, grievously wounded

महेष्वासःgreat archer

सृक्किणीthe two corners of the mouth

परिसंलिहन्licking all around

शक्तिम्a spear, lance

कनकवैदूर्यभूषिताम्adorned with gold and vaidūrya (cat's-eye gem)

आयसीम्made of iron

दृढाम्firm, strong

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

śakti (spear/javelin)

kanaka (gold)

vaidūrya (cat’s-eye gem)

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 steadfastness and martial resolve under extreme suffering, while implicitly reminding the reader of the grim persistence of violence in war—courage and determination appear, but within a morally costly battlefield context.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a great archer who, though badly pierced/wounded, regains composure and takes up a strong iron spear decorated with gold and vaidūrya, signaling preparation for a powerful retaliatory attack.