Shloka 20

Bhīṣma–Karṇa Saṃvāda on the Śaraśayyā (भीष्म–कर्ण संवादः शरशय्यायाम्)

Devanagari script

तत्राद्भुतमपश्याम रणे पार्थस्य विक्रमम्‌ । शरै: संवार्य तान्‌ वीरान्‌ यज्जघान महाबल:

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | tatrādbhutam apaśyāma raṇe pārthasya vikramam | śaraiḥ saṃvārya tān vīrān yaj jaghāna mahābalaḥ | ekaikaṃ tribhir ānarccchat kaḍukabarhiṇavājitaiḥ |

Translation

Sañjaya nói: Tại chiến địa ấy, ta đã chứng kiến một cảnh tượng kỳ diệu về dũng lực của Pārtha (Arjuna). Vị dũng sĩ đại lực ấy dùng mưa tên chặn đứng các anh hùng kia rồi đánh gục họ. Chàng đâm mỗi người ba mũi tên—nhanh và sắc, lông vũ như cánh kền kền—khiến những tướng lĩnh hàng đầu của phe địch bị khựng lại và chịu tổn hại quyết định giữa tiếng binh khí va chạm.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• अद्भुतम्: wonderful, marvelous (thing)
• अद्भुतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अद्भुत
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अपश्याम: we saw
• अपश्याम: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 1st, Plural

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• पार्थस्य: of Partha (Arjuna)
• पार्थस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• विक्रमम्: valor, prowess
• विक्रमम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विक्रम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• शरैः: with arrows
• शरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• संवार्य: having checked/held back
• संवार्य: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+वृ (संवृ)
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral)

• तान्: those
• तान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• वीरान्: heroes, warriors
• वीरान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• यत्: which (fact/that)
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• जघान: he slew
• जघान: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular

• महाबलः: the very strong one
• महाबलः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाबल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एकैकम्: each one (individually)
• एकैकम्: Karma
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एकैक

• त्रिभिः: with three
• त्रिभिः: Karana
• Type: Numeral
• Root: त्रि
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• आनर्च्छत्: he struck/assailed (hit)
• आनर्च्छत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आन्+ऋच्छ् (आनृच्छ्/आनर्च्छ्)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular

• कडुकबर्हिणवाजितैः: with arrows fitted with (vulture-)feathers (barbed/feathered)
• कडुकबर्हिणवाजितैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कडुक-बर्हिन्-वाजित
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Pārtha (Arjuna)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in its battlefield form: disciplined force used to restrain and neutralize dangerous opponents. It also underscores the ethical weight of eyewitness narration—Sañjaya reports not triumphalism but the astonishing effectiveness of Arjuna’s controlled martial skill.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Arjuna displayed extraordinary prowess in battle: he checked the enemy’s leading heroes with arrows and struck them decisively, piercing each with three swift, feathered shafts.