Shloka 18

Adhyāya 108 — Nimitta-darśana and Drona’s counsel amid Arjuna’s advance (निमित्तदर्शनं द्रोणोपदेशश्च)

Devanagari script

ततस्ते रथिनो राजझ्छरै: संनतपर्वभि:

Transliteration

tataste rathino rājañ śaraiḥ saṃnataparvabhiḥ

Translation

Sañjaya nói: Bấy giờ, tâu Đại vương, những chiến binh trên chiến xa ấy liền dồn dập công kích đối phương bằng những mũi tên có khớp nối ngay ngắn, chắc bền—một hình ảnh của kỹ nghệ quân trận kỷ luật được phóng thích trong bạo lực có trật tự của chiến trường.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात् अव्ययम्)
• Form: अव्ययम्

• ते: those (they)
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्

• रथिनः: chariot-warriors
• रथिनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथिन्
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन एकवचनम्

• शरैः: with arrows
• शरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचनम्

• संनतपर्वभिः: having bent/curved joints (i.e., with curved nodes)
• संनतपर्वभिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संनतपर्वन्
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचनम्

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• rathinaḥ (chariot-warriors)
• śara (arrows)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores disciplined execution of one’s role in a dharmic framework: even in war, effectiveness is linked to training, order, and adherence to the warrior’s duty (kṣatriya-dharma), while reminding the listener that such skill operates within the grave moral weight of battle.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya continues reporting the Kurukṣetra battle to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, describing how the chariot-warriors engage by shooting well-made, firmly jointed arrows—signaling an escalation or continuation of intense missile combat.