Shloka 15

Devanagari script

पौरवस्तु धनुश्कछित्त्वा धृष्टकेतोर्महारथ: । ननाद बलवन्नादं विव्याध च शितै: शरै:,तब महारथी पौरवने धृष्टकेतुके धनुषको काटकर बड़े जोरसे सिंहनाद किया और उसे तीखे बाणोंसे बींध डाला

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | pauravas tu dhanuṣkṛt chittvā dhṛṣṭaketor mahārathaḥ | nanāda balavan nādaṃ vivyādha ca śitaiḥ śaraiḥ ||

Translation

సంజయుడు పలికెను—అప్పుడు మహారథి పౌరవుడు ధృష్టకేతువు ధనుస్సును కోసివేసి, ఘనమైన సింహనాదము చేసి, పదునైన బాణములతో అతనిని బేధించెను।

Word by Word

पौरवःPaurava (son of Puru; here: Duryodhana)

तुbut/indeed

धनुःbow

छित्त्वाhaving cut/broken

धृष्टकेतोःof Dhrishtaketu

महारथःgreat chariot-warrior

ननादroared/sounded

बलवत्strongly, loudly

नादम्sound/roar

विव्याधpierced

चand

शितैःwith sharp

शरैःarrows

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sanjaya

Paurava (Kuru-side warrior)

Dhṛṣṭaketu

bow (dhanuḥ)

arrows (śara)

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 a battlefield ethic centered on kṣatriya prowess: neutralize the enemy’s means (cutting the bow), assert dominance (a powerful roar), and press the advantage (striking with arrows). It reflects how, in war, intimidation and tactical disabling can be as decisive as direct killing—raising implicit ethical tension between martial duty and compassion.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya describes a Kuru-side great warrior (Paurava) severing Dhṛṣṭaketu’s bow, then roaring loudly and wounding Dhṛṣṭaketu with sharp arrows, marking a swift turn in that duel.