Shloka 16

Devanagari script

सोअन्यत्‌ कार्मुकमादाय पौरवं निशितै: शरै: । आजपघान महाराज त्रिसप्तत्या शिलीमुखै:

Transliteration

so 'nyat kārmukam ādāya pauravaṁ niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ | ājaghāna mahārāja trisaptatyā śilīmukhaiḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya nói: Rồi chàng cầm lấy một cây cung khác và—tâu Đại vương—đánh trúng chiến sĩ Paurava bằng những mũi tên sắc như dao, bắn trúng bằng bảy mươi ba mũi tên đầu rộng.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अन्यत्: another
• अन्यत्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कार्मुकम्: bow
• कार्मुकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्मुक
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + दा
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral for gerund), Non-finite

• पौरवम्: of the Pauravas (Puru-line), Paurava
• पौरवम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पौरव
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• निशितैः: sharp
• निशितैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निशित
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

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

• अजपघान: Ajapaghāna (proper name/epithet, the target)
• अजपघान: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अजपघान
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• महाराज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• त्रिसप्तत्या: with seventy-three
• त्रिसप्तत्या: Karana
• Type: Noun (numeral)
• Root: त्रिसप्तति
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• शिलीमुखैः: with broad-headed arrows
• शिलीमुखैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिलीमुख
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Paurava
• kārmuka (bow)
• śara (arrows)
• śilīmukha (broad-headed arrows)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse does not teach doctrine directly; it highlights the kṣatriya sphere where duty is enacted through disciplined skill and endurance. Ethically, it frames war as a domain of relentless escalation, inviting reflection on the cost of prowess when directed toward harm.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that a warrior takes up another bow and strikes a Paurava opponent with sharp arrows, specifically seventy-three broad-headed shafts, indicating an intense exchange in the battle.