Shloka 42

भीष्मधनंजयद्वैरथम्

Bhīṣma–Dhanaṃjaya Duel and the Opening Clash

Devanagari script

गाड़ेयस्तु रणे पार्थमानर्च्छन्नवभि: शरै:

Transliteration

gāḍeyas tu raṇe pārtham ānarcchann avabhiḥ śaraiḥ

Translation

गाडेयस्तु रणे पार्थमानर्च्छन्नवभिः शरैः।

Word by Word

• गाडेयः: Gāḍeya (a warrior/person named Gāḍeya)
• गाडेयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गाडेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• पार्थम्: Pārtha (Arjuna)
• पार्थम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अनर्च्छत्: attacked/assailed; went upon
• Type: Verb
• Root: ऋच्छ् (धातु) + अनु-
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular

• नवभिः: with nine
• नवभिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नवन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

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

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Gāḍeya
• Pārtha (Arjuna)
• arrows (śara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the battlefield reality that a kṣatriya’s duty is tested through direct confrontation; ethical gravity is implicit—valor and steadfastness are demanded even when violence is unavoidable within the framework of war-dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that the warrior Gāḍeya, during the battle, assails Arjuna (Pārtha) by striking him with many arrows, depicting an intense exchange of martial aggression.