Shloka 26

Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Sañjaya-saṃvādaḥ; madhyāhna-saṅgrāma-pravṛttiḥ

Dhritarashtra–Sanjaya dialogue and the midday battle escalation

Devanagari script

शिखण्डी तु महाराज द्रौणिमासाद्य संयुगे । आजलचघान भ्रुवोर्मध्ये नाराचैस्त्रिभिराशुगै:,महाराज! दूसरी ओर शिखण्डीने युद्धभूमिमें अश्वत्थामाके पास पहुँचकर तीन शीघ्रगामी नाराचोंद्वारा उसके भौंहोंके मध्यभागमें आघात किया

Transliteration

śikhaṇḍī tu mahārāja drauṇim āsādya saṃyuge | ājaghāna bhruvor madhye nārācais tribhir āśugaiḥ ||

Translation

மகாராஜா! மறுபுறம் சிகண்டி போர்க்களத்தில் துரோணபுத்திரன் அஸ்வத்தாமனை அணுகி, மூன்று விரைவான நாராச அம்புகளால் அவன் புருவங்களின் நடுவில் தாக்கினான்।

Word by Word

शिखण्डीShikhandi

तुbut/indeed

महाराजO great king

द्रौणिम्Drona's son (Ashvatthaman)

आसाद्यhaving approached/reached

संयुगेin battle

अञ्जलचघानstruck (reading uncertain)

भ्रुवोःof the two eyebrows

मध्येin the middle

नाराचैःwith iron arrows (narachas)

त्रिभिःwith three

आशुगैःswift

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Śikhaṇḍī

Aśvatthāman (Drauṇi)

nārāca arrows

battlefield (Kurukṣetra context)

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

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the immediacy and severity of battlefield dharma: warriors act with speed and precision to neutralize threats. Ethically, it reflects how, once war is joined, personal valor and tactical decisiveness dominate the moment, even as the broader conflict remains tied to contested righteousness and duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Śikhaṇḍī closes in on Aśvatthāman (Droṇa’s son) during the fight and hits him between the eyebrows with three fast nārāca arrows.