Shloka 5

धृतराष्ट्र-संजय-संवादः — दुर्योधनस्य ह्रदप्रवेशः

Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Saṃjaya Dialogue: Duryodhana’s Entry into the Lake

Devanagari script

विव्यधुर्निशितैर्बाणै: कड़कबर्हिणवाजितै: । स्वर्णपुड्खै: शिलाधौतैराकर्णप्रहितैः शरै:

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

vivyadhur niśitair bāṇaiḥ kaṅkabārhiṇavājitaiḥ |

suvarṇapuḍkhaiḥ śilādhautair ākarṇaprahitaiḥ śaraiḥ, rājan |

Translation

Санджая сказал: О царь, те герои, сблизившись на поле брани, начали наносить и отражать удары острыми стрелами — оперёнными перьями грифа и павлина, с золотыми украшениями, вычищенными и отполированными о камень, и пущенными при натяжении тетивы до уха.

Word by Word

• विव्यधुः: they pierced / struck
• विव्यधुः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्यध् (विध्/व्यध्)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3, Plural, Parasmaipada

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

• बाणैः: with arrows
• बाणैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• कङ्कबर्हिणवाजितैः: with (arrows) furnished with vulture- and peacock-feathers
• कङ्कबर्हिणवाजितैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कङ्क-बर्हिण-वाजित
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• स्वर्णपुड्खैः: with golden fletchings
• स्वर्णपुड्खैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वर्ण-पुड्ख
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• शिलाधौतैः: polished/cleaned on stone
• शिलाधौतैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिला-धौत
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• आकर्णप्रहितैः: shot after drawing (the bowstring) to the ear
• आकर्णप्रहितैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आकर्ण-प्रहित
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

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

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• King (Dhṛtarāṣṭra, implied by rājan)
• arrows (bāṇa/śara)
• vulture-feathers (kaṅka)
• peacock-feathers (bārhiṇa)
• gold (suvarṇa)
• whetstone/stone for polishing (śilā)
• battlefield (samara-aṅgaṇa, implied by context)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how, in war, skill and refinement (sharp, polished, fully drawn arrows) can magnify harm; it implicitly invites reflection on the tragic reciprocity of violence even among duty-bound heroes.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes two opposing heroic fighters engaging at close quarters, exchanging volleys of expertly made arrows—sharp, stone-burnished, gold-adorned, and shot at full draw—signaling an intense phase of the battle.