Shloka 20
भीमसेन-धृष्टद्युम्नयोर्वाक्यं
Bhīmasena and Dhṛṣṭadyumna’s Speeches on Kṣātra-Dharma
Devanagari script
तत: शरशतैस्ती&णैर्मर्म भेदिभिराशुगै:
Transliteration
tataḥ śaraśataiḥ tīkṣṇaiḥ marma-bhedibhir āśugaiḥ
Translation
ततः शरशतैस्तीक्ष्णैर्मर्मभेदिभिराशुगैः ॥
Word by Word
ततःthen/thereafter
ततः:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात् अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (पञ्चमी-अर्थे: 'from/thereafter')
शरशतैःwith hundreds of arrows
शरशतैः:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootशरशत (शर + शत)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन
तीक्ष्णैःsharp
तीक्ष्णैः:
Karana
TypeAdjective
Rootतीक्ष्ण
Formपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (शरशतैः इति विशेषणम्)
मर्मभेदिभिःpiercing the vital spots
मर्मभेदिभिः:
Karana
TypeAdjective
Rootमर्मभेदिन् (मर्म + भेदिन्)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (शरशतैः इत्यादीनां विशेषणम्)
आशुगैःswift
आशुगैः:
Karana
TypeAdjective
Rootआशुग
Formपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (शरशतैः इत्यादीनां विशेषणम्)
Speaker
संजय उवाच
Characters & Entities
S
SañjayaA
arrows (śara)V
vital points (marma)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 line underscores the harsh ethical tension of dharma in war: martial excellence and determination, when directed toward harming an opponent’s vital points, reveal both the necessity and the moral cost of battlefield duty.
Sañjaya describes a combatant launching a concentrated volley—hundreds of sharp, swift arrows—aimed to pierce vital spots, indicating an escalation and a decisive attempt to incapacitate the enemy.