Shloka 25

अध्याय २६ — शल्यस्य सारथ्य-नियोजनं, कर्णस्य प्रस्थानं, उत्पातदर्शनं च

Chapter 26: Śalya appointed as charioteer; Karṇa’s departure; portents

Devanagari script

ततो रजतपुड्खेन राजज्शीर्ष महात्मन: । मित्रदेवस्य चिच्छेद क्षुरप्रेण महारथ:,राजन! फिर महारथी धनंजयने रजतमय पंखवाले क्षुरप्रसे महामना मित्रदेवके मस्तकको काट डाला

Transliteration

tato rajatapudkhena rājaśīrṣa mahātmanaḥ | mitradevasya ciccheda kṣurapreṇa mahārathaḥ ||

Translation

రాజా, ఆపై మహారథి ధనంజయుడు వెండి పింఛాలతో కూడిన క్షురప్ర బాణంతో మహామనస్కుడైన మిత్రదేవుని శిరస్సును ఛేదించెను।

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

रजतपुड्खेनwith the silver-feathered (arrow)

राजशीर्षम्the head (royal head)

महात्मनःof the great-souled (man)

मित्रदेवस्यof Mitradeva

चिच्छेदcut off, severed

क्षुरप्रेणwith a razor-edged (arrow/weapon)

महारथःthe great chariot-warrior

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)

Mitradeva

kṣurapra (razor-edged arrow)

silver-feathered arrow (rajatapudkha)

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 the harsh reality of kṣatriya-dharma in a declared war: once battle is joined, decisive action is taken without wavering, even against a noble foe. It implicitly contrasts personal worth with the impersonal demands of duty and the momentum of conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Arjuna (Dhanañjaya), an elite warrior, shoots a razor-edged arrow with silver fletching and severs the head of Mitradeva, killing him in the course of the battle described in Karṇa Parva.