Shloka 456

Devanagari script

गाड़ेयं पञ्चविंशत्या क्षुद्रकाणां समार्पयत्‌ । तदनन्तर अर्जुनने हँसकर गाण्डीव धनुषकी टंकार करते हुए गंगानन्दन भीष्मको पचीस बाण मारे

Transliteration

gāḍeyaṃ pañcaviṃśatyā kṣudrakāṇāṃ samārpayat | tadanantaraṃ arjunena haṃsakaṛ gāṇḍīva-dhanuṣas ṭaṅkāraṃ kurvatā gaṅgānandanaṃ bhīṣmaṃ pañcaviṃśati-bāṇaiḥ āhataḥ |

Translation

Sañjaya nói: Rồi Arjuna mỉm cười, làm dây cung Gāṇḍīva vang lên tiếng ngân, và bắn Bhīṣma—con của sông Gaṅgā—hai mươi lăm mũi tên. Cảnh ấy nêu bật kỷ luật nghiệt ngã của chiến tranh: ngay cả bậc trưởng thượng đáng tôn kính nhất cũng phải đối diện sức mạnh khi bổn phận và lòng trung thành đặt ông ở phía đối địch.

Word by Word

• गाण्डीवेन: with (the bow) Gāṇḍīva
• गाण्डीवेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गाण्डीव
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• पञ्चविंशत्या: with twenty-five (as a number); by a set of twenty-five
• पञ्चविंशत्या: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चविंशति
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• क्षुद्रकाणाम्: of small (arrows/shafts) (i.e., small arrows)
• क्षुद्रकाणाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षुद्रक
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• समार्पयत्: he delivered/shot/assigned (onto)
• समार्पयत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√र्प (अर्प्)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Arjuna
• Bhishma
• Ganga
• Gandiva (bow)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the tension between reverence and duty: even an honored elder like Bhishma must be opposed in battle when one’s dharma and chosen allegiance demand it. Ethical action here is framed as disciplined adherence to role-based duty amid tragic conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports that Arjuna, smiling and sounding the Gandiva’s bowstring, shoots Bhishma—called the son of Ganga—with twenty-five arrows, marking a forceful exchange in the Kurukshetra war.