Shloka 17

Devanagari script

महाराज! धृष्टकेतुने दूसरा धनुष लेकर तिहत्तर तीखे शिलीमुख बाणोंद्वारा पौरवको गहरी चोट पहुँचायी ।।

Transliteration

tāv tu tatra maheṣvāsau mahāmātrau mahārathau | mahatā śaravarṣeṇa parasparam avidhyatām ||

Translation

ସଞ୍ଜୟ କହିଲେ—ହେ ମହାରାଜ, ସେଠାରେ ସେଇ ଦୁଇ ମହାଧନୁର୍ଧର, ପ୍ରଧାନ ସେନାନାୟକ ଓ ମହାରଥୀ ବୀର ଘନ ବାଣବର୍ଷାରେ ପରସ୍ପରକୁ ନିରନ୍ତର ବିଦ୍ଧ କରୁଥିଲେ।

Word by Word

• tau: those two
• tau: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: tad
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• tu: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra

• mahā-iṣvāsau: two great archers
• mahā-iṣvāsau: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahāiṣvāsa
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• mahā-mātrau: two great warriors/commanders
• mahā-mātrau: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahāmātra
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• mahā-rathau: two great chariot-fighters
• mahā-rathau: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahāratha
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• mahatā: with great
• mahatā: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• śara-varṣeṇa: by a shower of arrows
• śara-varṣeṇa: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaravarṣa
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• parasparam: each other/mutually
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: paraspara

• avidhyatām: they two pierced/wounded
• Type: Verb
• Root: vyadh (√vyadh)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Dual, Parasmaipada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Mahārāja (Dhṛtarāṣṭra, implied addressee)
• two unnamed warriors (dual reference: maheṣvāsau/mahāmātrau/mahārathau)
• bows
• arrows (śara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the kṣatriya ethic of steadfast engagement in battle—fighters meet force with force, accepting risk and injury as part of their duty—while also implicitly revealing the grim, escalating nature of warfare where mutual harm becomes the norm.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes two elite warriors on the battlefield who are locked in a direct duel, repeatedly piercing each other with a powerful, continuous volley of arrows.