Shloka 24

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

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

Devanagari script

ततः शरशतैर्भूय: संशप्तकगणान्‌ बली । पातयामास संक्रुद्धो शतशो5थ सहस्रश:,तदनन्तर अत्यन्त क्रोधमें भरे हुए बलवान अर्जुनने पुनः हजारों और सैकड़ों संशप्तकगणोंको सैकड़ों बाणोंसे मारकर धरतीपर सुला दिया

Transliteration

tataḥ śaraśatair bhūyaḥ saṁśaptakagaṇān balī | pātayāmāsa saṅkruddhaḥ śataśo ’tha sahasraśaḥ ||

Translation

แล้วอรชุนผู้เกรียงไกรซึ่งเดือดดาลด้วยโทสะ ก็ยังคงยิงศรนับร้อยซ้ำอีกครั้งให้หมู่สังศัปตกะล้มระเนระนาด; พวกเขาร่วงลงเป็นร้อย ๆ กระทั่งเป็นพัน ๆ

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

शरशतैःwith hundreds of arrows

भूयःagain, further

संशप्तकगणान्the troops/bands of the Saṁśaptakas

बलीthe mighty one

पातयामासcaused to fall; felled

संक्रुद्धःenraged

शतशःby hundreds

अथand then

सहस्रशःby thousands

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sanjaya

Arjuna

Saṁśaptakas

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 how vows and battlefield duty (kṣatriya-dharma) can intensify conflict: anger and resolve amplify destructive capability. Ethically, it invites reflection on the cost of righteous war—skill and duty may be praised, yet mass killing remains a grave burden.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports that Arjuna, in great fury, again attacks the Saṁśaptaka warriors and strikes them down in vast numbers with volleys of arrows, causing them to fall on the battlefield.