Shloka 64

Bhīma–Duryodhana Gadāyuddha Saṃkalpa

Resolve for the Mace Duel

Devanagari script

सो<वबद्धशिरस्त्राण: शुभकाञ्चनवर्म भृत्‌ । रराज राजन पुत्रस्ते काउ्चन: शैलराडिव,महाराज! शिरस्त्राण बाँधकर सुन्दर सुवर्णमय कवच धारण करके आपका पुत्र स्वर्णमय गिरिराज मेरुके समान शोभा पाने लगा

Transliteration

so ’vabaddhaśirastrāṇaḥ śubhakāñcanavarmabhṛt | rarāja rājan putras te kāñcanaḥ śailarāḍ iva ||

Translation

Sanjaya thưa: “Tâu Đại vương, vương tử của người—mũ chiến đã buộc chặt, áo giáp vàng rực rỡ khoác trên thân—chói sáng như Meru, chúa tể núi non bằng vàng.”

Word by Word

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

• अवबद्ध-शिरस्त्राणः: with helmet fastened/bound on
• अवबद्ध-शिरस्त्राणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवबद्ध-शिरस्त्राण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शुभ-काञ्चन-वर्म-भृत्: wearing splendid golden armor
• शुभ-काञ्चन-वर्म-भृत्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभकाञ्चनवर्मभृत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• रराज: shone, was resplendent
• Type: Verb
• Root: राज्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

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

• पुत्रः: son
• पुत्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ते: your (of you)
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• काञ्चनः: golden
• काञ्चनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काञ्चन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शैल-राजः: king of mountains
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैलराज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: like, as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

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

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• King Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• your son (Duryodhana, in context)
• helmet (śirastrāṇa)
• golden armor (kāñcana-varman)
• lord of mountains (śailarāṭ)
• Mount Meru (implied by the simile in the received Hindi gloss)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the contrast between external magnificence (armor, royal radiance) and the deeper ethical reality of war: splendor and preparedness do not guarantee righteousness or victory; they operate within the larger framework of dharma and destiny that the epic continually interrogates.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the king’s son appears on the battlefield with his helmet secured and golden armor donned, shining like a golden mountain-lord—an image meant to convey formidable presence and heightened martial display.