Mahabharata 7.173.40 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 173, Shloka 40

Śiva’s Battlefield Manifestation and Vyāsa’s Śatarudrīya Exposition (शिवप्रादुर्भावः शतरुद्रीयव्याख्यानम्)

Devanagari script

तौ तु विद्ध्वा महाराज पाण्डवो निशितै:शरै:

Transliteration

tau tu viddhvā mahārāja pāṇḍavo niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ

Translation

Sañjaya disse: Ó grande rei, o Pāṇḍava, tendo ferido aqueles dois com flechas afiadas como lâminas, impeliu a batalha adiante—imagem de uma determinação marcial implacável dentro dos sombrios deveres da guerra.

Word by Word

• तौ: those two (them)
• तौ: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Dual

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

• विद्ध्वा: having pierced/struck
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्यध् (विध्)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

• महाराज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• पाण्डवः: the Pandava (Arjuna/Yudhishthira etc.; here: a Pandava)
• पाण्डवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• निशितैः: with sharp
• निशितैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निशित
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• शरैः: arrows
• शरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Mahārāja (Dhṛtarāṣṭra, addressed)
• Pāṇḍava
• Śara (arrows)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the harsh reality of kṣatriya-duty in war: action is executed with precision and resolve, while the ethical weight lies in fulfilling one’s role amid unavoidable violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that a Pāṇḍava warrior pierces ‘those two’ opponents with sharp arrows, marking a decisive moment in the ongoing combat sequence.