Shloka 21

Devanagari script

ते शरा द्विट्शरीरेषु यथैव न ससज्जिरे । द्विडनीकेषु बीभत्सोर्न ससज्जे रथस्तदा

Transliteration

te śarā dviṭ-śarīreṣu yathaiva na sasañjire | dviḍ-anīkeṣu bībhatsor na sasañje rathas tadā ||

Translation

वैशंपायन म्हणाले—जसे ते बाण शत्रूंच्या शरीरांत अडकत नसत, तसेच त्या वेळी भीषण पराक्रमी बीभत्साचा रथही शत्रूंच्या व्यूहांत कुठेही अडकत नसे.

Word by Word

तेthose

शराःarrows

द्विट्-शरीरेषुin the bodies of enemies

यथाas/just as

एवindeed/just

नnot

ससज्जिरेstuck/embedded (they did not stick)

द्विट्-अनीकेषुin the enemy ranks/armies

बीभत्सोःof Bhībhatsu (Arjuna)

नnot

ससज्जेstuck/was caught (did not get stuck)

रथःchariot

तदाthen/at that time

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Bībhatsu (Arjuna)

arrows (śarāḥ)

chariot (rathaḥ)

enemy bodies (dviṭ-śarīra)

enemy armies/formations (dviḍ-anīka)

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 disciplined martial excellence: a warrior’s effectiveness is shown not merely by striking, but by maintaining unhindered control—arrows and chariot alike do not get ‘caught’ when skill, focus, and rightful purpose govern action.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes the intensity of combat involving Arjuna (Bībhatsu): the enemy’s arrows fail to lodge effectively, and Arjuna’s chariot moves through hostile formations without being obstructed, emphasizing his dominance on the battlefield.