Shloka 47

Devanagari script

आर्षभं चर्म च महच्छतचन्द्रकसंकुलम्‌ । आविध्य च तत: खड्गं सात्वतायोत्ससर्ज ह,तब महाबली जलसंधने सौ चन्द्राकार चमकीले चिह्लोंसे युक्त वृषभ-चर्मकी बनी हुई विशाल ढाल और तलवार हाथमें ले ली तथा उस तलवारको घुमाकर सात्यकिपर छोड़ दिया

Transliteration

ārṣabhaṃ carma ca mahac chata-candraka-saṅkulam | āvidhya ca tataḥ khaḍgaṃ sātvatāyotsasarja ha ||

Translation

అతడు ఎద్దు-చర్మంతో చేసిన, వంద చంద్రసదృశ ఉబ్బులతో నిండిన మహా కవచాన్ని పట్టుకున్నాడు. ఆపై ఖడ్గాన్ని తిప్పి సాత్వతవీరుడైన సాత్యకిపై విసిరాడు.

Word by Word

आर्षभम्made of bull-hide / bovine

चर्मhide, leather (shield)

चand

महत्great, large

शतचन्द्रकसंकुलम्crowded/covered with a hundred moon-discs (ornaments)

आविध्यhaving whirled/brandished

चand

ततःthen, thereafter

खड्गम्sword

सात्वतायto Sātvata (Sātyaki)

उत्ससर्जhe hurled/let fly

हindeed (emphatic particle)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Sātyaki (Sātvata)

bull-hide shield (carmāṇi/mahac carma)

sword (khaḍga)

hundred moon-like bosses (śata-candraka)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how, in war, prowess and aggression can rapidly intensify; it invites reflection on kṣatriya valor while implicitly reminding the listener that martial skill operates within the heavier moral atmosphere of dharma and the tragic costs of violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

A powerful warrior arms himself with a large bull-hide shield studded with many moon-like bosses, then whirls his sword and throws it toward Sātyaki, marking a sharp, aggressive turn in the duel.