Mahabharata 7.191.39 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 191, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

ततो<स्य सशरं चापं क्षुरप्रेण द्विधाच्छिनत्‌

Transliteration

tato 'sya saśaraṃ cāpaṃ kṣurapreṇa dvidhācchinat

Translation

Disse Sañjaya: Então, com uma flecha de gume de navalha, ele decepou o arco dele — ainda com as flechas presas — partindo-o em duas partes. Sātyaki tomou de pronto outro arco robusto e, com golpes rápidos, começou a lançar saraivadas de flechas contra teu filho, sem dar pausa à luta.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• अस्य: of him (his)
• अस्य: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, singular

• सशरम्: together with arrows
• सशरम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-शर
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• चापम्: bow
• चापम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: चाप
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• क्षुरप्रेण: with a razor-edged (arrow/weapon)
• क्षुरप्रेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षुरप्र
• Form: masculine, instrumental, singular

• द्विधा: into two, in two parts
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्विधा

• अच्छिनत्: cut, severed
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद्
• Form: imperfect (laṅ), 3rd, singular, parasmaipada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Sātyaki
• Duryodhana (implied by 'your son')
• bow (cāpa)
• razor-edged arrow (kṣurapra)
• arrows (śara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights kṣātra-dharma in practice: skill, presence of mind, and relentless resolve in battle. Ethically, it shows how warfare in the epic often turns on mastery and quick adaptation—when one weapon is neutralized, the warrior must regain composure and continue without losing purpose.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the midst of combat, a warrior uses a kṣurapra (a cutting arrow) to slice the opponent’s bow into two. Sātyaki immediately replaces it with another sturdy bow and begins a rapid barrage of arrows against Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son (Duryodhana), intensifying the engagement.