Shloka 13

Devanagari script

पौरवो धृष्टकेतुं च शरैराच्छाद्य संयुगे | बहुधा दारयांचक्रे महेष्वासं महारथ:

Transliteration

pauravo dhṛṣṭaketuṁ ca śarair ācchādya saṁyuge | bahudhā dārayāṁcakre maheṣvāsaṁ mahārathaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya nói: Giữa cơn giao chiến dữ dội, chiến sĩ Paurava đã phủ kín Dhṛṣṭaketu bằng mưa tên; rồi hết lần này đến lần khác đâm xé, khoét sâu vào vị cung thủ kiệt xuất ấy—một đại xa chiến binh hùng mạnh—mong khuất phục chàng bằng sức ép chiến trận không ngừng.

Word by Word

• पौरवः: the Paurava (descendant of Puru)
• पौरवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौरव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धृष्टकेतुम्: Dhṛṣṭaketu
• धृष्टकेतुम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृष्टकेतु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

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

• आच्छाद्य: having covered
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-छद्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

• संयुगे: in battle
• संयुगे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संयुग
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• बहुधा: in many ways / repeatedly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहुधा

• दारयाम्: tore / pierced
• Type: Verb
• Root: दॄ (दारयति)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• चक्रे: did / made
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Singular, Ātmanepada

• महेष्वासम्: the great bowman
• महेष्वासम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महेष्वास
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• महारथः: the great chariot-warrior
• महारथः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Paurava (Kuru/Kaurava warrior)
• Dhṛṣṭaketu
• arrows (śara)
• battle (saṁyuga)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the kṣatriya battlefield ethic of relentless engagement and the reality that prowess and endurance are tested through sustained effort; it underscores how war measures strength through repeated, forceful action rather than a single strike.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that a Paurava warrior, in the midst of combat, showers Dhṛṣṭaketu with arrows and repeatedly pierces him, attempting to subdue a renowned archer and great chariot-fighter.