Shloka 416

Devanagari script

शक्ति कनकवैदूर्या द्रोणश्रिच्छेद सायकै: । यह देख द्रोणाचार्यने तीखे भल्लोंसे उन दसों तोमरोंको काटकर अपने बाणोंके द्वारा सुवर्ण एवं वैदूर्यमणिसे विभूषित उस शक्तिके भी टुकड़े-टुकड़े कर डाले

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | śaktiṃ kanakavaidūryāṃ droṇaś chinna-sāyakaiḥ | yad dṛṣṭvā droṇācāryaḥ tīkṣṇair bhallaiḥ tān daśa tomārān chittvā sva-bāṇaiḥ suvarṇa-vaidūrya-vibhūṣitāṃ tāṃ śaktim api khaṇḍa-khaṇḍaṃ cakāra |

Translation

సంజయుడు పలికెను—సువర్ణము మరియు వైదూర్యమణులతో అలంకృతమైన ఆ శక్తిని ద్రోణుడు తన సాయకములతో కోసివేశెను. అది చూచి ద్రోణాచార్యుడు తీక్ష్ణ భల్లశరములతో ముందుగా ఆ పది తోమరములను ఛేదించి, అనంతరం తన శరములతో ఆ రత్న-సువర్ణభూషిత శక్తినీ అనేక ఖండములుగా విరిచివేశెను।

Word by Word

शक्तिम्the spear/weapon (śakti)

कनक-वैदूर्याम्adorned with gold and vaidūrya (cat’s-eye gem)

द्रोण-शिरः-च्छेद-सायकैःwith arrows meant for cutting off Droṇa’s head

ददर्शsaw

यःwho

द्रोणाचार्यःDroṇācārya

तीक्ष्णैःwith sharp

भल्लैःbarbed arrows

तान्those

दशten

तोमरान्javelins/spears

चिच्छेदcut (to pieces)

स्वैःwith his own

बाणैःarrows

सुवर्ण-वैदूर्य-विभूषिताम्adorned with gold and vaidūrya

ताम्that (weapon)

अपिalso/even

चिच्छेदcut (to pieces)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Droṇācārya (Droṇa)

śakti (spear weapon)

tomara (javelins)

bhalla (arrows)

sāyaka (arrows)

kanaka (gold)

vaidūrya (gem)

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 the harsh ethic of battlefield reality: outward magnificence (gold and gems) offers no protection, and in war, trained mastery and decisive action can reduce even prized instruments of power to fragments—inviting reflection on the futility of pride in material splendor amid violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Droṇa, using sharp bhalla arrows, cuts down ten incoming javelins and then shatters an ornate spear (śakti) decorated with gold and vaidūrya gems, demonstrating his superior archery and control in the ongoing battle.