Shloka 16

Devanagari script

सोअन्यत्‌ कार्मुकमादाय पौरवं निशितै: शरै: । आजपघान महाराज त्रिसप्तत्या शिलीमुखै:

Transliteration

so 'nyat kārmukam ādāya pauravaṁ niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ | ājaghāna mahārāja trisaptatyā śilīmukhaiḥ ||

Translation

सोऽन्यत्कार्मुकमादाय पौरवं निशितैः शरैः । आजघान महाराज त्रिसप्तत्या शिलीमुखैः ॥

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अन्यत्: another
• अन्यत्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कार्मुकम्: bow
• कार्मुकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्मुक
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + दा
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral for gerund), Non-finite

• पौरवम्: of the Pauravas (Puru-line), Paurava
• पौरवम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पौरव
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

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

• अजपघान: Ajapaghāna (proper name/epithet, the target)
• अजपघान: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अजपघान
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• त्रिसप्तत्या: with seventy-three
• त्रिसप्तत्या: Karana
• Type: Noun (numeral)
• Root: त्रिसप्तति
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• शिलीमुखैः: with broad-headed arrows
• शिलीमुखैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिलीमुख
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Paurava
• kārmuka (bow)
• śara (arrows)
• śilīmukha (broad-headed arrows)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse does not teach doctrine directly; it highlights the kṣatriya sphere where duty is enacted through disciplined skill and endurance. Ethically, it frames war as a domain of relentless escalation, inviting reflection on the cost of prowess when directed toward harm.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that a warrior takes up another bow and strikes a Paurava opponent with sharp arrows, specifically seventy-three broad-headed shafts, indicating an intense exchange in the battle.