Shloka 21

Devanagari script

स पार्षतमभिद्रुत्य जिघांसुर्मुत्युमात्मन: । अवाकिरत्‌ सहस्रेण तीक्ष्णानां कडुकपत्रिणाम्‌,तत्पश्चात्‌ अपनी मृत्युस्वरूप धृष्टद्युम्नको मार डालनेकी इच्छासे वे उसपर टूट पड़े और कंकपत्रयुक्त सहस्रों तीखे बाणोंद्वारा उन्हें आच्छादित करने लगे

Transliteration

sa pārṣatam abhidrutya jighāṃsur mṛtyum ātmanaḥ | avākirat sahasreṇa tīkṣṇānāṃ kaṅkapatriṇām ||

Translation

Sañjaya berkata: Sesudah itu Droṇa menerpa terus kepada putera Pṛṣata (Dhṛṣṭadyumna), berniat membunuhnya—dia yang ditakdirkan menjadi mautnya sendiri—lalu menghujaninya dengan seribu anak panah tajam, berbulu pelepah bangau, menutupi dirinya dari segala arah.

Word by Word

सःhe

पार्षतम्Dhrishtadyumna (son of Prishata)

अभिद्रुत्यhaving rushed at

जिघांसुःwishing to kill

मृत्युम्death

आत्मनःof himself / his own

अवाकिरत्he showered / covered (with missiles)

सहस्रेणwith a thousand

तीक्ष्णानाम्of sharp (ones)

कडुकपत्रिणाम्of (arrows) having harsh/keen-edged wings (feathered shafts)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛṣṭadyumna (Pārṣata, son of Pṛṣata)

arrows (śara/bāṇa implied)

heron-feathers (kaṅka-patra)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how, in the Mahābhārata’s war ethic, personal enmity and perceived destiny can override restraint: a warrior seeks a decisive end, treating the opponent as ‘death’ itself. It invites reflection on how vows and hatred intensify violence and narrow moral choice in battle.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates a combat moment where a warrior charges at Dhṛṣṭadyumna (called Pārṣata) and overwhelms him by raining a thousand sharp, heron-feathered arrows, effectively covering him with missile fire.