Shloka 57

Devanagari script

पाणौ पृषत्का लिखिता ममैते धनुश्न दिव्यं विततं सबाणम्‌ | पादौ च मे सरथौ सध्वजौ च न मादृशं युद्धगतं जयन्ति

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

pāṇau pṛṣatkā likhitā mamaite dhanuś ca divyaṃ vitataṃ sabāṇam |

pādau ca me sarathau sadhvajau ca na mādṛśaṃ yuddhagataṃ jayanti ||

Translation

Санджая сказал: «На моих ладонях начертаны знаки стрел; и есть также знак божественного лука, натянутого и готового со стрелами. Так же и на моих стопах — знаки колесницы и её знамени. Когда воин с такими благими знамениями вступает в битву, враги не могут одолеть его.»

Word by Word

• पाणौ: in (my) hand
• पाणौ: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाणि
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• पृषत्काः: arrows
• पृषत्काः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृषत्का
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• लिखिताः: inscribed/marked
• लिखिताः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिख्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural, क्त (past passive participle)

• मम: of me / my
• मम: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• एते: these
• एते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• धनुः: bow
• धनुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• दिव्यम्: divine
• दिव्यम्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• विततम्: stretched/extended
• विततम्: Visheshana
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-तन्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)

• सबाणम्: with arrows
• सबाणम्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-बाण
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• पादौ: (my) two feet
• पादौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• मे: of me / my
• मे: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• सरथौ: with a chariot / chariot-marked
• सरथौ: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-रथ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• सध्वजौ: with a banner / banner-marked
• सध्वजौ: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-ध्वज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• मादृशम्: one like me
• मादृशम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मादृश
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• युद्धगतम्: gone to battle / present in battle
• युद्धगतम्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युद्ध-गत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular, क्त (from √गम् with prefix)

• जयन्ति: conquer/defeat
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि
• Form: Present, Indicative, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• divine bow (dhanuḥ)
• arrows (pṛṣatkāḥ/bāṇāḥ)
• chariot (ratha)
• banner/standard (dhvaja)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the epic motif of bodily auspicious marks as indicators of destiny and martial success: a warrior believed to be marked by fate and merit is portrayed as difficult to defeat, reinforcing confidence, legitimacy, and the perceived moral order behind victory in war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports a warrior’s self-description of auspicious signs—arrow and bow marks on the hands, chariot and banner marks on the feet—used as a claim that, once he enters battle, opponents will not be able to conquer him.