Shloka 14

Devanagari script

भारद्वाजस्तु समरे मत्स्यं विव्याध पत्रिणा | ध्वजं चास्य शरेणाजौ धनुश्वैकेन चिच्छिदे,दूसरी ओर द्रोणाचार्यने मत्स्यराज विराटको युद्धमें एक बाणसे बींध डाला तथा एक बाणसे उनका ध्वज और एकसे धनुष काट डाला

Transliteration

bhāradvājastu samare matsyaṃ vivyādha patriṇā | dhvajaṃ cāsya śareṇājau dhanuś caikena cicchide ||

Translation

دوسری طرف بھاردواج (درون آچاریہ) نے جنگ میں پر دار تیر سے متسیہ راج وِراٹ کو چھید دیا؛ پھر اسی میدان میں ایک اور تیر سے اُس کا جھنڈا کاٹ ڈالا اور ایک ہی تیر سے اُس کی کمان بھی چیر کر توڑ دی۔

Word by Word

भारद्वाजःBharadvaja (Drona)

तुbut/indeed

समरेin battle

मत्स्यम्Matsya (king Virata)

विव्याधpierced/wounded

पत्रिणाwith a feathered arrow

ध्वजम्banner/standard

चand

अस्यof him (of Virata)

शरेणwith an arrow

अजौin battle

धनुःbow

एकेनwith one (arrow)

चिच्छिदेcut/broke

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Bhāradvāja (Droṇācārya)

Matsya king Virāṭa

arrow (śara/patriṇ)

banner (dhvaja)

bow (dhanuḥ)

battlefield (samara/āja)

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, mastery of weapons is used not only to wound but to neutralize an enemy’s ability to fight and lead—by striking the warrior, cutting the banner (a sign of command and morale), and severing the bow (the means of combat). It reflects the harsh logic of battlefield duty within kṣatriya-dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates that Droṇa (called Bhāradvāja) strikes King Virāṭa of Matsya with an arrow, then shoots down his banner and cuts his bow, effectively diminishing Virāṭa’s fighting capacity and battlefield presence.