Shloka 26

Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Sañjaya-saṃvādaḥ; madhyāhna-saṅgrāma-pravṛttiḥ

Dhritarashtra–Sanjaya dialogue and the midday battle escalation

Devanagari script

शिखण्डी तु महाराज द्रौणिमासाद्य संयुगे । आजलचघान भ्रुवोर्मध्ये नाराचैस्त्रिभिराशुगै:

Transliteration

śikhaṇḍī tu mahārāja drauṇim āsādya saṃyuge | ājaghāna bhruvor madhye nārācais tribhir āśugaiḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya nói: Tâu Đại vương, ở phía khác, Śikhaṇḍī tiến đến gần Aśvatthāman, con trai của Droṇa, giữa vòng giao chiến, rồi bắn ba mũi nārāca lao vút, trúng ngay giữa hai chân mày của chàng. Tình tiết ấy nêu bật sự khốc liệt mang tính cá nhân của chiến tranh Kurukṣetra, nơi tài nghệ và ý chí thúc các chiến binh tìm đòn quyết định giữa cuộc tranh chấp lớn lao về vương quyền và dharma.

Word by Word

• शिखण्डी: Shikhandi
• शिखण्डी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिखण्डिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

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

• द्रौणिम्: Drona's son (Ashvatthaman)
• द्रौणिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रौणि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आसाद्य: having approached/reached
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√सद्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage as gerund)

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

• अञ्जलचघान: struck (reading uncertain)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अञ्जलचघान (पाठभेद/अस्पष्ट)
• Form: As written, this form is non-standard/likely corrupt. Expected sense is 'struck' (e.g., जघान).

• भ्रुवोः: of the two eyebrows
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रू
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Dual

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• नाराचैः: with iron arrows (narachas)
• नाराचैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाराच
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• त्रिभिः: with three
• त्रिभिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• आशुगैः: swift
• आशुगैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आशुग
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Śikhaṇḍī
• Aśvatthāman (Drauṇi)
• nārāca arrows
• battlefield (Kurukṣetra context)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the immediacy and severity of battlefield dharma: warriors act with speed and precision to neutralize threats. Ethically, it reflects how, once war is joined, personal valor and tactical decisiveness dominate the moment, even as the broader conflict remains tied to contested righteousness and duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Śikhaṇḍī closes in on Aśvatthāman (Droṇa’s son) during the fight and hits him between the eyebrows with three fast nārāca arrows.