Mahabharata (Gita Press) 9.21.9 - Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 21, Shloka 9

Adhyāya 21 — Duryodhanasya bāṇavarṣaḥ

Duryodhana’s Arrow-Storm and the Dust-Obscured Engagements

Devanagari script

तमायान्तं महाबाहुं प्रवपन्तं शितान्‌ शरान्‌ । जवेनाभ्यपतद्‌ धीमान्‌ हार्दिक्य: शिनिपुजड्भवम्‌

Transliteration

tam āyāntaṃ mahābāhuṃ pravapantaṃ śitān śarān | javena abhyapatad dhīmān hārdikyaḥ śinipuṇḍbhavam ||

Translation

Sañjaya berkata: Melihat Sātyaki, pahlawan berlengan perkasa keturunan Śini, mara sambil menghujani anak panah yang tajam, Kṛtavarmā yang bijaksana—putera Hṛdīka—meluru ke hadapan dengan kelajuan besar untuk menentangnya. Adegan itu menampakkan arus pertempuran yang tidak mengenal henti: keberanian dan kewajipan mendorong para kesatria membalas kekuatan dengan kekuatan, sementara beban etika keganasan tersirat dalam setiap pertemuan.

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Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आयान्तम्: coming/approaching
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-या (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• महाबाहुम्: mighty-armed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाबाहु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रवपन्तम्: showering/casting forth
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-वप् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• शितान्: sharp
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शित
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• शरान्: arrows
• शरान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• जवेन: with speed
• जवेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जव
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• अभ्यपतत्: rushed at/charged
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-पत् (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• धीमान्: wise
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धीमत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• हार्दिक्यः: Hārdikya (Kṛtavarmā)
• हार्दिक्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: हार्दिक्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शिनिपुत्रभवम्: the descendant/son of Śini’s line (Sātyaki)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिनिपुत्रभव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Sātyaki
• Kṛtavarmā
• Hṛdīka
• Śini
• arrows (śara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the kṣatriya ethos in wartime: when an opponent advances with lethal intent, a warrior bound by duty responds decisively. It implicitly points to the tension between strategic necessity and the moral gravity of violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sātyaki advances while raining sharp arrows; Kṛtavarmā, described as wise and swift, charges forward to meet and oppose him, setting up a direct clash between the two warriors.