Shloka 42

Devanagari script

ततस्ते भ्रातर: पड्च राक्षसेन्द्रं महाहवे । विव्यधुर्निशितैर्बाणैस्तपनीयवि भूषितै:,तदनन्तर उन पाँचों भाइयोंने उस महासमरमें सुवर्णभूषित तीक्ष्ण बाणोंद्वारा राक्षसराज अलम्बुषको क्षत-विक्षत कर दिया

Transliteration

tatas te bhrātaraḥ pañca rākṣasendraṃ mahāhave | vivyadhur niśitair bāṇais tapanīya-vibhūṣitaiḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya nói: Rồi năm anh em ấy, giữa đại chiến, đã dùng những mũi tên sắc bén trang sức vàng mà đâm xuyên chúa tể loài Rākṣasa, khiến hắn trọng thương.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

तेthey (those)

भ्रातरःbrothers

पञ्चfive

राक्षसेन्द्रम्the lord/king of the Rakshasas

महाहवेin the great battle

विव्यधुःthey pierced, struck

निशितैःwith sharp

बाणैःarrows

तपनीयविभूषितैःadorned with gold

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

the five brothers (Pāṇḍavas)

Alambuṣa (rākṣasa)

arrows (bāṇa)

gold (tapanīya)

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 kṣatriya context of the epic: in a righteous war, coordinated resolve and disciplined martial action are portrayed as necessary, even when the outcome is violent. It also emphasizes unity—five brothers acting together against a powerful adversary.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that the five Pāṇḍava brothers strike the rākṣasa-chief (Alambuṣa) in the thick of battle, piercing him with sharp, gold-adorned arrows and leaving him badly wounded.