Shloka 45

Adhyāya 104 — Śikhaṇḍin-puraskāraḥ (Śikhaṇḍin as Vanguard) and Bhīṣma’s Counter-Advance

Devanagari script

तस्य द्रोणसुतश्चापं द्विधा चिच्छेद भारत । अथैनं छिन्नधन्वानं ताडयामास सायकै:,भारत! उस द्रोणपुत्रने सात्यकिके धनुषके दो टुकड़े कर दिये और धनुष कट जानेपर उन्हें सायकोंसे घायल करना आरम्भ किया

Transliteration

tasya droṇasutaś cāpaṃ dvidhā ciccheda bhārata | athainaṃ chinnadhanvānaṃ tāḍayāmāsa sāyakaiḥ ||

Translation

భారతా! ద్రోణపుత్రుడు సాత్యకியின் ధనుస్సును రెండుగా విరిచాడు. ఆపై ఆయుధం కోల్పోయిన అతనిని చూసి బాణాలతో కొట్టడం ప్రారంభించాడు.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him/his
• तस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• द्रोणसुतः: Drona's son (Ashvatthaman)
• द्रोणसुतः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रोणसुत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• आपम्: bow
• आपम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: चाप
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• द्विधा: in two, into two parts
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्विधा

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

• भारत: O Bharata
• Type: Noun (vocative epithet)
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• अथ: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• एनम्: him
• एनम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• छिन्नधन्वानम्: one whose bow is cut/broken (disarmed)
• छिन्नधन्वानम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: छिन्नधन्वन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ताडयामास: struck, beat, attacked
• Type: Verb
• Root: तड्
• Form: Periphrastic perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सायकैः: with arrows
• सायकैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सायक
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• भारत: O Bharata
• Type: Noun (vocative epithet)
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (addressed as Bhārata)
• Droṇa
• Aśvatthāmā (Droṇasuta)
• Sātyaki (implied by context: the disarmed warrior)
• bow (cāpa)
• arrows (sāyaka)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores how swiftly fortune turns in war and how a warrior’s dharma is tested when suddenly disadvantaged; it invites reflection on whether pressing an opponent’s vulnerability is merely tactical necessity or a moral strain within kṣatriya conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Aśvatthāmā, son of Droṇa, slices the opponent’s bow into two; once the foe is disarmed, he immediately continues the assault by striking him with arrows.