Shloka 19

Devanagari script

तावेकस्थौ रणे वीरावावन्त्यौ रथिनां वरौ । शरान्‌ मुमुचतुस्तूर्णमिरावति महात्मनि,रथियोंमें श्रेष्ठ वे दोनों आवन्त्य वीर रणभूमिमें एक ही रथपर बैठकर बड़ी शीघ्रताके साथ महामना इरावानपर बाणोंकी वर्षा करने लगे

Transliteration

tāv ekasthau raṇe vīrāv āvantyau rathināṃ varau | śarān mumucatus tūrṇam irāvati mahātmani ||

Translation

Disse Sañjaya: Aqueles dois heróis de Avanti—os mais eminentes entre os guerreiros de carro—mantiveram-se juntos na batalha e, com grande rapidez, começaram a descarregar saraivadas de flechas sobre Irāvān, o magnânimo.

Word by Word

तौthose two

एकस्थौstanding/situated together in one place (on one chariot)

रणेin battle

वीरौtwo heroes

आवन्त्यौAvanti-born (from Avanti)

रथिनाम्of chariot-warriors

वरौthe best (two)

शरान्arrows

मुमुचतुःthey released/shot

तूर्णम्swiftly

इरावतिupon Irāvān

महात्मनिon the great-souled (one)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sanjaya

Avanti (Āvanti)

the two Avanti heroes (unnamed here)

Irāvān

chariot (ratha)

arrows (śara)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the kṣatriya world of Kurukṣetra: coordinated martial action and unwavering engagement in battle. Ethically, it reflects how war compresses moral space—valor and duty are foregrounded even when the opponent is described as mahātman (noble), reminding readers that nobility does not exempt one from the harsh mechanics of conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports that two renowned chariot-warriors from Avanti, acting together, rapidly shoot volleys of arrows at Irāvān on the battlefield, intensifying the combat around him.