Shloka 46

अध्याय ९ — कर्णस्य प्रहारः, योधयुग्मनियोजनम्, शैनेय-कैकेययोर्युद्धविन्यासः

Devanagari script

सौभद्रस्य महाबाहुर्व्यधमत्‌ कार्मुकं शितै: । यश्च नागायुतप्राणं वजरंहसमच्युतम्‌

Transliteration

saubhadrasya mahābāhur vyadhamat kārmukaṃ śitaiḥ | yaś ca nāgāyutaprāṇaṃ vajraṃhasam acyutam ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana nói: Vị dũng sĩ tay mạnh đã dùng tên sắc bắn gãy cung của Saubhadra; rồi cũng quật ngã Acyuta—người được truyền rằng sinh lực sánh mười nghìn voi, và tốc độ như tia sét.

Word by Word

सौभद्रस्यof Saubhadra (Abhimanyu)

महाबाहुःthe mighty-armed (one)

व्यधमत्shattered / broke

कार्मुकम्bow

शितैःwith sharp (arrows)

यःwho

चand

नागायुतप्राणम्having the strength of ten-thousand elephants

वज्रम्thunderbolt; adamantine (weapon)

अंहसम्distress; harm; sin (contextually: grievous harm)

अच्युतम्Acyuta (Krishna)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Saubhadra (Abhimanyu)

Acyuta

kārmuka (bow)

śara (arrows)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the fragility of worldly strength and reputation in the face of war’s immediacy: even famed might (likened to ten thousand elephants) and extraordinary speed (thunderbolt-like) can be overcome. Ethically, it points to the tragic cost of kṣatriya conflict, where skill is exercised within duty yet results in swift destruction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana narrates a combat moment: a mighty warrior breaks Saubhadra’s (Abhimanyu’s) bow with sharp arrows and also strikes down a figure named Acyuta, described with hyperbolic strength and speed. The scene conveys a decisive turn in the exchange of weapons and advantage on the battlefield.