Mahabharata 7.18.19 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 18, Shloka 19

द्रोणपर्व — अध्याय १८: संशप्तकगणयुद्धे अर्जुनस्यास्त्रप्रयोगः

Drona Parva, Chapter 18: Arjuna’s astra-deployment against the Saṃśaptakas

Devanagari script

हस्तावापं सुबाहोस्तु भल्लेन युधि पाण्डव: । चिच्छेद तं चैव पुन: शरवर्षैरवाकिरत्‌

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | hastāvāpaṃ subāhostu bhallena yudhi pāṇḍavaḥ | ciccheda taṃ caiva punaḥ śaravarṣair avākirat ||

Translation

हस्तावापं सुबाहोस्तु भल्लेन युधि पाण्डवः । चिच्छेद तं चैव पुनः शरवर्षैरवाकिरत् ॥

Word by Word

• हस्तावापम्: hand-guard/gauntlet
• हस्तावापम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्तावाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सुबाहोः: of Subāhu
• सुबाहोः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुबाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

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

• भल्लेन: with a bhalla-arrow
• भल्लेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भल्ल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• युधि: in battle
• युधि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युध् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• पाण्डवः: the Pāṇḍava (Arjuna)
• पाण्डवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• चिच्छेद: cut off
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• पुनः: again
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

• शरवर्षैः: with showers of arrows
• शरवर्षैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरवर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• अवाकिरत्: covered/sprinkled (with arrows)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव√कॄ (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Arjuna
• Subāhu
• bhalla (arrow)
• śara (arrows)
• hastāvāpa (hand-guard/arm-guard)
• battlefield (yuddha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in action: focused skill and unwavering resolve in battle, where duty is carried out decisively rather than with hesitation, within the larger frame of a righteous conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya describes Arjuna striking Subāhu with a bhalla-arrow, severing his hand-guard, and then immediately overwhelming him with a renewed shower of arrows.