Shloka 18

Devanagari script

ततो5परेण भल्लेन ध्वजं चिच्छेद काउ्चनम्‌ | बाह्लीकस्य रणे राजन्‌ सात्यकि: प्रहसन्निव,राजन! फिर सात्यकिने हँसते हुए-से रणभूमिमें एक दूसरे भल्लके द्वारा बाह्लीकपुत्र सोमदत्तके सुवर्णमय ध्वजको काट दिया

Transliteration

tato 'pareṇa bhallena dhvajaṃ ciccheda kāñcanam | bāhlīkasya raṇe rājan sātyakiḥ prahasann iva ||

Translation

రాజా! ఆపై సాత్యకి మరో భల్లబాణంతో రణరంగంలో బాహ్లీకుని (పుత్రుడైన) సోమదత్తుని స్వర్ణధ్వజాన్ని నవ్వుతున్నట్లుగా కోసివేశాడు.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• अपरेण: with another (one)
• अपरेण: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• भल्लेन: with an arrow (bhalla)
• भल्लेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भल्ल
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• ध्वजम्: banner, standard
• ध्वजम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वज
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• काञ्चनम्: golden
• काञ्चनम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काञ्चन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• बाह्लीकस्य: of Bāhlīka
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाह्लीक
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• सात्यकिः: Sātyaki
• सात्यकिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सात्यकि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रहसन्: laughing
• प्रहसन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-हस्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: as if, like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Sātyaki
• Bāhlīka
• dhvaja (golden banner/standard)
• bhalla (broad-headed arrow)
• raṇa (battlefield)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even within the brutal arena of war, actions often aim at symbolic targets—standards, banners, emblems—to break confidence and status. The verse highlights how honor and morale function as real forces in conflict, and how a warrior’s composure (Sātyaki ‘as if smiling’) can itself be a strategic and ethical statement of mastery under pressure.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Sātyaki, using another broad-headed arrow, cuts down the golden banner associated with Bāhlīka during the battle—an impressive feat meant to humiliate and destabilize the opposing side.