Shloka 21

Bhagadattā’s Deployment Against Ghaṭotkaca; Elephant-Corps Escalation

Devanagari script

धनु: प्रपीड्य वामेन करेणामित्रकर्शन: । शिरक्षिच्छेद समरे शरेणानतपर्वणा

Transliteration

dhanuḥ prapīḍya vāmena kareṇāmitrakarśanaḥ | śiraś ciccheda samare śareṇānataparvaṇā ||

Translation

Sinabi ni Sañjaya: Mahigpit na pinisil ang busog sa kaliwang kamay, at sa gitna ng labanan, ang manlulupig ng kaaway ay pinugot ang ulo ng katunggali sa pamamagitan ng palasong tuwid ang mga dugtungan—isang larawan ng malupit na katumpakan at di na maibabalik na bunga ng digmaan kapag ang tungkuling mandirigma ay tinutupad nang walang pag-aatubili.

Word by Word

धनुःbow

प्रपीड्यhaving pressed/strained

वामेनwith the left

करेणhand

अमित्रकर्शनःcrusher of foes

शिरःhead

चिच्छेदcut off

समरेin battle

शरेणwith an arrow

अनतपर्वणाhaving unbent joints/knots (straight-jointed)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

स

संजय (Sañjaya)

ध

धनुः (bow)

श

शर (arrow)

श

शिरः (head)

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 underscores the stark moral gravity of warfare: when a warrior commits to battle as duty, actions become swift and irreversible, highlighting both the discipline of martial skill and the heavy ethical cost of violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports a battlefield moment where a warrior, bracing his bow with the left hand, releases a well-forged arrow and decapitates an opponent in combat.