Shloka 46

Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 19 — Saṃśaptaka–Trigarta Assault and Aindra-astra Counter

Devanagari script

द्विपस्य पादाग्रकरान्‌ स पञठ्चभि- नपस्य बाहू च शिरो<5थ च त्रिभि: | जघान षड्भि: षडनुत्तमत्विष: स पाण्ड्यराजानुचरान्‌ महारथान्‌

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

dvipasya pādāgrakarān sa pañcabhir

napasya bāhū ca śiro 'tha ca tribhiḥ |

jaghāna ṣaḍbhiḥ ṣaḍ-anuttama-tviṣaḥ

sa pāṇḍya-rājānucarān mahārathān ||

Translation

Sañjaya nói: Với năm mũi tên, chàng chém đứt hai bàn chân trước và vòi của con voi. Rồi với ba mũi tên, chàng chặt rời hai cánh tay và thủ cấp của vua Pāṇḍya khỏi thân mình. Sau đó, bằng sáu mũi tên, chàng cũng giết luôn sáu đại xa chiến—những người rực rỡ uy quang—đang theo sau vị quân vương Pāṇḍya.

Word by Word

• द्विपस्य: of the elephant
• द्विपस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विप
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• पादाग्रकरान्: the foreparts of the feet and the trunk (lit. foot-tips and 'hand'/trunk)
• पादाग्रकरान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पादाग्रकर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

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

• पञ्चभिः: with five (arrows)
• पञ्चभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• नपस्य: of the king/prince
• नपस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नप
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• बाहू: the two arms
• बाहू: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाहु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Dual

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

• शिरः: the head
• शिरः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अथ: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

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

• त्रिभिः: with three (arrows)
• त्रिभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• जघान: struck down / slew
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• षड्भिः: with six (arrows)
• षड्भिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: षट्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• षडनुत्तमत्विषः: six (warriors) of unsurpassed splendor
• षडनुत्तमत्विषः: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षड्-अनुत्तमत्विष्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

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

• पाण्ड्यराजानुचरान्: followers/attendants of the Pāṇḍya king
• पाण्ड्यराजानुचरान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्ड्य-राज-अनुचर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• महारथान्: great chariot-warriors
• महारथान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Elephant (war-elephant)
• Pāṇḍya king (Pāṇḍyarāja)
• Six mahārathas (followers of the Pāṇḍya king)
• Arrows (bāṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the moral strain of war: even within kṣatriya duty, victory often comes through overwhelming force and technical mastery, prompting reflection on how dharma operates amid large-scale violence and the dehumanizing momentum of battle.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Sañjaya’s report from the battlefield, a warrior (implied by context) first disables a war-elephant by cutting its forefeet and trunk with five arrows, then kills the Pāṇḍya king by severing his arms and head with three arrows, and finally slays six accompanying elite chariot-warriors with six more arrows.