Mahabharata 7.83.6 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 83, Shloka 6

Saumadatti-vadha and Bhīma–Alambusa-saṃyoga (सौमदत्तिवधः तथा भीमालम्बुससंयोगः)

Devanagari script

सरो<मृतमयं दिव्यम भ्याशे शरत्रुसूदनौ । तत्र मे तद्‌ धर्नुर्दिव्यं शरश्न निहित: पुरा

Transliteration

sa ro 'mṛtamayaṁ divyaṁ hy āśe śatrusūdanau | tatra me tad dhanuḥ divyaṁ śarāś ca nihitāḥ purā ||

Translation

Sañjaya berkata: “Wahai kamu berdua pembinasa musuh, dekat di sini ada sebuah tasik ilahi yang penuh dengan amerta. Di sana, pada zaman dahulu, busur samawiku dan anak-anak panahku telah disimpan. Dengan senjata itu aku pernah menumbangkan semua musuh para dewa dalam peperangan. Wahai Kṛṣṇa—kamu berdua, bawalah dari tasik itu busur yang unggul itu bersama anak-anak panahnya.”

Word by Word

• {'amṛtamaya': 'made of nectar

• ambrosial, deathless in quality', 'divya': 'divine, celestial, supernatural', 'saras': 'lake, pond, pool', 'hy āśe (abhiyāse/āśe)': 'nearby

• in the vicinity (contextual sense: ‘close at hand’)', 'śatrusūdana': 'slayer of enemies

• epithet used for heroic warriors (often Kṛṣṇa/Arjuna)', 'tatra': 'there, in that place', 'me': 'my', 'tad': 'that (previously mentioned)', 'dhanuḥ': 'bow', 'śarāḥ': 'arrows', 'nihitāḥ': 'placed, deposited, kept', 'purā': 'formerly, in ancient times', 'vīra': 'hero, valiant one', 'ānaya/āhara (implied)': 'bring, fetch (imperative sense in the passage)'}

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Kṛṣṇa
• Arjuna (implied by dual address “you two”)
• amṛtamaya divya saras (divine nectar-like lake)
• divya dhanuḥ (celestial bow)
• śarāḥ (arrows)
• deva-śatru (enemies of the gods, implied)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the epic theme that power in war is not merely personal strength but also preparedness and rightful access to divine resources; even then, such power is framed within the larger moral burden of warfare and responsibility in using extraordinary weapons.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that a divine, nectar-like lake is nearby where a celestial bow and arrows had been stored long ago; he urges Kṛṣṇa and his companion (under the dual address) to retrieve that superior weapon with its arrows for the unfolding battle situation.