Shloka 21
Bhagadattā’s Deployment Against Ghaṭotkaca; Elephant-Corps Escalation
Devanagari script
धनु: प्रपीड्य वामेन करेणामित्रकर्शन: । शिरक्षिच्छेद समरे शरेणानतपर्वणा
Transliteration
dhanuḥ prapīḍya vāmena kareṇāmitrakarśanaḥ | śiraś ciccheda samare śareṇānataparvaṇā ||
Translation
सञ्जय उवाच—वामेन करेण धनुः प्रपीड्य, अमित्रकर्शनः समरेऽनतपर्वणा शरेण शिरश्छेदं चकार।
Word by Word
धनुःbow
धनुः:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootधनुस्
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
प्रपीड्यhaving pressed/strained
प्रपीड्य:
TypeVerb
Rootप्र-पीड्
Formल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral for gerund)
वामेनwith the left
वामेन:
Karana
TypeAdjective
Rootवाम
FormMasculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular
करेणhand
करेण:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootकर
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Singular
अमित्रकर्शनःcrusher of foes
अमित्रकर्शनः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootअमित्रकर्शन
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
शिरःhead
शिरः:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootशिरस्
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
चिच्छेदcut off
चिच्छेद:
TypeVerb
Rootछिद्
FormPerfect (लिट्), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada
समरेin battle
समरे:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootसमर
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular
शरेणwith an arrow
शरेण:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootशर
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Singular
अनतपर्वणाhaving unbent joints/knots (straight-jointed)
अनतपर्वणा:
Karana
TypeAdjective
Rootअनतपर्वन्
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Singular
Speaker
संजय उवाच
Characters & Entities
स
संजय (Sañjaya)ध
धनुः (bow)श
शर (arrow)श
शिरः (head)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the stark moral gravity of warfare: when a warrior commits to battle as duty, actions become swift and irreversible, highlighting both the discipline of martial skill and the heavy ethical cost of violence.
Sañjaya reports a battlefield moment where a warrior, bracing his bow with the left hand, releases a well-forged arrow and decapitates an opponent in combat.