Shloka 56

Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 58 — Arjuna’s Arrow-Storm and Relief of Bhīmasena

Devanagari script

रथमारुरुहे वीरो धनंजयशरार्दित: । प्रगृह्य च धनु: श्रेष्ठ पार्थ विव्याध सायकै:

Transliteration

ratham ārurohe vīro dhanañjaya-śarārditaḥ | pragṛhya ca dhanuḥ śreṣṭhaṃ pārtho vivyādha sāyakaiḥ, rājan |

Translation

Sañjaya thưa: Tâu Đại vương, bị tên của Dhanañjaya làm cho thương tích, dũng sĩ ấy lại leo lên chiến xa. Pārtha (Arjuna) cầm lấy cây cung thượng hạng và bắn tên đâm trúng hắn, tâu Đại vương.

Word by Word

• रथम्: chariot
• रथम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आरुरुहे: mounted/ascended
• आरुरुहे: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-रुह्
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular

• वीरः: the hero
• वीरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धनंजय-शर-अर्दितः: wounded by Dhanañjaya's arrows
• धनंजय-शर-अर्दितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धनंजयशरार्दित (धनंजय + शर + अर्दित)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रगृह्य: having grasped/taken up
• प्रगृह्य: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-ग्रह्
• Form: Absolutive (ktvā/lyap), Active

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

• धनुः: bow
• धनुः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• श्रेष्ठम्: excellent, best
• श्रेष्ठम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• पार्थः: Pārtha (Arjuna)
• पार्थः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विव्याध: pierced, struck
• विव्याध: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-व्यध्
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular

• सायकैः: with arrows
• सायकैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सायक
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

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

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Arjuna (Dhanañjaya, Pārtha)
• chariot
• bow
• arrows
• King Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by 'rājan')

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the kṣatriya battlefield ethic: even when wounded, a warrior is expected to remount, take up arms, and respond. It implicitly shows how adherence to martial duty can perpetuate a relentless cycle of retaliation, raising ethical tension between duty (dharma) and the escalating harm of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that a warrior, badly hurt by Arjuna’s arrows, climbs back onto his chariot. Arjuna then takes his fine bow and pierces him again with arrows, continuing the exchange of missile combat in the ongoing Kurukṣetra battle.