Shloka 10

Devanagari script

शैनेयो<पि गुरो: पुत्र सर्वमर्मसु भारत । अताडयदमेयात्मा नवभि: कड़कवाजितै:,भारत! तब अनन्त आत्मबलसे सम्पन्न सात्यकिने भी गुरुपुत्र अश्वत्थामाके सम्पूर्ण मर्मस्थानोंमें नौ कंकपत्रयुक्त बाण मारे

Transliteration

Śaineyo 'pi guroḥ putra sarva-marmasu Bhārata | atāḍayad ameyātmā navabhiḥ kaṅkapatra-yuktaiḥ ||

Translation

భారతా! అప్పుడు అపరిమిత పరాక్రమముగల శైనేయుడు సాత్యకియు గురుపుత్రుడు అశ్వత్థాముని సమస్త మర్మస్థానములపై కంకపక్షములు కలిగిన తొమ్మిది బాణములతో కొట్టెను।

Word by Word

शैनेयःSātyaki (son of Śini)

अपिalso/even

गुरोःof the teacher (Droṇa)

पुत्रम्the son

सर्वall

मर्मसुin the vital spots

भारतO Bhārata

अताडयत्struck/smote

अमेयात्माof immeasurable spirit/might

नवभिःwith nine

कडकवाजितैःfurnished with (kanka-)feathers; feathered

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Śaineya (Sātyaki)

Aśvatthāman

Droṇa (implied by 'guroḥ')

arrows (kaṅkapatra-yuktāḥ śarāḥ)

marman (vital points)

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 how, in the chaos of war, personal status and revered lineage (being the guru’s son) do not guarantee protection; martial skill targets vulnerability directly. It implicitly warns that when dharma deteriorates into armed conflict, ethical restraints weaken and outcomes hinge on force, precision, and consequence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Sātyaki (Śaineya), empowered by great strength, strikes Aśvatthāman—the son of Droṇa—at his vital points with nine feather-fletched arrows, describing a decisive and technically precise exchange in the battle.