Shloka 496

Devanagari script

न चक्ुस्ते रुजं तस्य रुक्मपुड्खा: शिलाशिता: । महारथी शिखण्डीने रणक्षेत्रमें जिनका प्रयोग किया था

Transliteration

na cakṣuste rujaṃ tasya rukmapuṅkhāḥ śilāśitāḥ |

Translation

Sañjaya berkata: Bahkan anak panah bersayap emas, diasah tajam pada batu pengasah, tidak mampu menimbulkan luka atau rasa sakit padanya. Maka, di medan perang, hujan panah Śikhaṇḍin gagal mencederakan Bhīṣma—menegaskan ketahanan luar biasa Bhīṣma serta syarat-syarat takdir yang sarat dharma, yang dengannya sahaja dia dapat dijatuhkan.

Word by Word

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अकुस्ते: they caused / they made
• Type: Verb
• Root: अकु (अकुस्त)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd, plural, Parasmaipada

• रुजम्: pain, hurt
• रुजम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुज्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• तस्य: of him
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• रुक्मपुङ्खाः: having golden feathers (fletching)
• रुक्मपुङ्खाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुक्मपुङ्ख
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शिलाशिताः: whetted on stone; sharpened
• शिलाशिताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिलाशित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīṣma
• Śikhaṇḍin
• arrows (rukmapuṅkhāḥ)
• whetstone (śilā)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights that mere force and weaponry do not always determine outcomes in a dharma-charged conflict; Bhīṣma’s fall is governed by specific ethical and fated conditions, so ordinary attacks—even expertly prepared—may prove ineffective.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Śikhaṇḍin’s sharpened, gold-fletched arrows, though used in the battle against Bhīṣma, did not cause Bhīṣma any visible wound or pain at that moment.