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Shloka 27

आततेष्वसना: शूरा नृत्यन्त इव भारत | भरतनन्दन! जैसे शिकारी लुआठोंसे हाथीको मारते हैं, उसी प्रकार अपने धनुषको ताने हुए उन शूर-वीरोंने नाचते हुए-से वहाँ अर्जुनको बाणोंद्वारा व्यथित कर डाला ।।

sañjaya uvāca | ātatēṣv asanāḥ śūrā nṛtyanta iva bhārata | bharatanandana! yathā śikārī luāṭhaiḥ hastinaṃ mārayanti, tathā sva-dhanuḥ ātatya taiḥ śūra-vīraiḥ nṛtyadbhir iva tatra arjunaḥ bāṇaiḥ vyathitaḥ || apasavyāṃs tu tāñ śakre rathena madhusūdanaḥ ||

Sañjaya nói: Hỡi Bhārata, những dũng sĩ ấy, cung đã giương căng hết mức, chuyển động như đang múa giữa chiến địa. Hỡi niềm vui của dòng Bharata, như thợ săn hạ gục voi bằng vũ khí của mình, cũng vậy, các anh hùng kia—tựa như đang múa trong cuộc giao tranh—đã dùng mưa tên làm Arjuna đau đớn tại đó. Rồi Madhusūdana, người điều khiển chiến xa, xoay chuyển thế trận, đưa kẻ địch lệch về bên trái (ngược chiều kim đồng hồ), khiến chúng bị khống chế bởi đường xe của ngài.

आततेषुwhen (bows) were stretched / among the stretched (bows)
आततेषु:
Adhikarana
TypeAdjective
Rootआतत (√तन् + आ, क्त)
FormMasculine/Neuter, Locative, Plural
असनाḥarchers (lit. bowmen)
असनाḥ:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootअसन
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
शूराःheroes, brave men
शूराः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootशूर
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
नृत्यन्तिthey dance
नृत्यन्ति:
TypeVerb
Root√नृत्
FormPresent, 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada
इवas if, like
इव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइव
भारतO Bharata
भारत:
TypeNoun
Rootभारत
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
अपस्व्यान्unfortunate, wretched
अपस्व्यान्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootअपस्व्य
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
तुbut, however
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
तान्those (men)
तान्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
शक्रेin/at (the presence of) Śakra (Indra) / (reading uncertain)
शक्रे:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootशक्र
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular
रथेनby/with a chariot
रथेन:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootरथ
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Singular
मधुसूदनःMadhusūdana (Kṛṣṇa)
मधुसूदनः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootमधुसूदन
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular

संजय उवाच

S
Sañjaya
A
Arjuna
M
Madhusūdana (Kṛṣṇa)
B
Bharata (addressed: Dhṛtarāṣṭra)
B
Bharatanandana (addressed: Dhṛtarāṣṭra)
C
chariot (ratha)
B
bows
A
arrows
H
hunters
E
elephant

Educational Q&A

The verse highlights how disciplined skill and coordinated action can overwhelm even a great warrior, while also implying the ethical weight of warfare: prowess must be guided by right strategy and steadiness (here, Kṛṣṇa’s charioteering) rather than mere ferocity.

Sañjaya describes Arjuna being intensely assailed by enemy heroes who shoot with bows fully drawn, moving with dance-like agility. In response, Kṛṣṇa (Madhusūdana) maneuvers the chariot—turning the opponents to the left/counter-clockwise—so Arjuna can regain tactical advantage.