Shloka 40

Arjuna’s Concentrated Archery and the Rout of the Kaurava Mahārathas

Gāṇḍīva-Nirghoṣa Episode

Devanagari script

सा च मुक्ता गदा गुर्वी कृपेण सुपरिष्कृता । अर्जुनेन शरैरनुन्ना प्रतिमार्गमथागमत्‌

Transliteration

sā ca muktā gadā gurvī kṛpeṇa supariṣkṛtā | arjunena śarair anunnā pratimārgam athāgamat ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana nói: Cây chùy nặng—được trang sức tinh xảo và do Kṛpa phóng đi—bị những mũi tên của Arjuna đánh trúng và đẩy ngược, nên quay trở lại, trở về đúng theo đường bay của nó.

Word by Word

• सा: she/that (gadha)
• सा: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

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

• मुक्ता: released/let go
• मुक्ता: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुक्त
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• गदा: mace
• गदा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• गुर्वी: heavy
• गुर्वी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुरु
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• कृपेण: by Kripa (Krupacharya)
• कृपेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृप
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• सुपरिष्कृता: well-adorned/finely prepared
• सुपरिष्कृता: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुपरिष्कृत
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• अर्जुनेन: by Arjuna
• अर्जुनेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुन
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• शरैः: with arrows
• शरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• अनुन्ना: driven/impelled (back)
• अनुन्ना: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुन्न
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रतिमार्गम्: the reverse path/backward way
• प्रतिमार्गम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिमार्ग
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• अगमत्: went/returned
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Kṛpa (Kṛpācārya)
• Arjuna
• gadā (mace)
• śara (arrows)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Power in conflict should be governed by discipline and dharma: Arjuna’s precise counteraction shows mastery that protects without indulging in excess violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kṛpa hurls a heavy, well-adorned mace; Arjuna strikes it with arrows so that it is forced to reverse course and return along its path.