Shloka 17

Sātyaki-praveśaḥ and Duryodhana-saṃnipātaḥ

Sātyaki’s passage and Duryodhana’s mass engagement

Devanagari script

इषूणां संनिपातेन शब्दो धाराभिघातज:

Transliteration

iṣūṇāṁ saṁnipātena śabdo dhārābhighātajaḥ

Translation

Sañjaya berkata: Daripada pertembungan anak-anak panah sesama sendiri, timbullah suatu bunyi—lahir daripada hentaman aliran panah yang tidak putus-putus—suatu deru yang menggerunkan, menandai keganasan pertempuran yang tiada reda.

Word by Word

• इषूणाम्: of arrows
• इषूणाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: इषु
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• संनिपातेन: by the collision/meeting
• संनिपातेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संनिपात
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• शब्दः: sound/noise
• शब्दः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शब्द
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धाराभिघातजः: born from the striking of streams (i.e., produced by the impact of torrents/volleys)
• धाराभिघातजः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धाराभिघातज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• arrows (iṣu)
• sound/roar (śabda)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the impersonal, overwhelming momentum of war: when violence becomes a continuous ‘stream,’ its effects multiply beyond individual intent, reminding the listener of the grave ethical weight carried by those who choose the battlefield.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the intensity of the fighting: arrows are being shot in such volume that they collide midair, producing a loud, striking sound like the impact of unbroken torrents.