Shloka 5

धृतराष्ट्र-संजय-संवादः — दुर्योधनस्य ह्रदप्रवेशः

Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Saṃjaya Dialogue: Duryodhana’s Entry into the Lake

Devanagari script

विव्यधुर्निशितैर्बाणै: कड़कबर्हिणवाजितै: । स्वर्णपुड्खै: शिलाधौतैराकर्णप्रहितैः शरै:,राजन! वे शूरवीर समरांगणमें एक-दूसरेसे टक्कर लेकर कंक और मोरके-से पंखवाले तीखे बाणोंद्वारा परस्पर आघात-प्रत्याघात करने लगे। उनके वे बाण सुनहरी पाँखोंसे सुशोभित, शिलापर साफ किये हुए और कानोंतक खींचकर छोड़े गये थे

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

vivyadhur niśitair bāṇaiḥ kaṅkabārhiṇavājitaiḥ |

suvarṇapuḍkhaiḥ śilādhautair ākarṇaprahitaiḥ śaraiḥ, rājan |

Translation

สัญชัยกล่าวว่า—พวกเขายิงศรคมแทงกันและกัน ศรนั้นติดขนแร้งและขนนกยูง มีปีกทอง ขัดบนหินจนเกลี้ยง และปล่อยเมื่อดึงสายธนูถึงหู

Word by Word

विव्यधुःthey pierced / struck

निशितैःwith sharp

बाणैःwith arrows

कङ्कबर्हिणवाजितैःwith (arrows) furnished with vulture- and peacock-feathers

स्वर्णपुड्खैःwith golden fletchings

शिलाधौतैःpolished/cleaned on stone

आकर्णप्रहितैःshot after drawing (the bowstring) to the ear

शरैःwith arrows

राजन्O king

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

King (Dhṛtarāṣṭra, implied by rājan)

arrows (bāṇa/śara)

vulture-feathers (kaṅka)

peacock-feathers (bārhiṇa)

gold (suvarṇa)

whetstone/stone for polishing (śilā)

battlefield (samara-aṅgaṇa, implied by context)

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, in war, skill and refinement (sharp, polished, fully drawn arrows) can magnify harm; it implicitly invites reflection on the tragic reciprocity of violence even among duty-bound heroes.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes two opposing heroic fighters engaging at close quarters, exchanging volleys of expertly made arrows—sharp, stone-burnished, gold-adorned, and shot at full draw—signaling an intense phase of the battle.