Shloka 47

भीष्मस्य शरशय्या-प्राप्तिः

Bhīṣma’s Fall to the Arrow-Bed

Devanagari script

तौ शरान्‌ सूर्यसंकाशान्‌ कर्मारपरिमार्जितान्‌

Transliteration

tau śarān sūryasaṅkāśān karmāraparimārjitān

Translation

三阇耶说道：“那两支箭——灿然如日，又经铁匠细心磨拭而光洁——已然备就，耀目而致命；当战阵之技与杀伐之意在此汇合。”

Word by Word

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Dual

• शरान्: arrows
• शरान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• सूर्यसंकाशान्: sun-bright, resembling the sun
• सूर्यसंकाशान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूर्य-संकाश
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• कर्मारपरिमार्जितान्: polished by a smith (well-burnished)
• कर्मारपरिमार्जितान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्मार-परिमार्जित
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• arrows (śara)
• sun (sūrya)
• smith/metalworker (karmāra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how human intention and craftsmanship amplify power: weapons become especially formidable when refined with skill. Ethically, it underscores the gravity of war—when expertise is applied to violence, responsibility and restraint become even more crucial.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes two arrows prepared for combat, emphasizing their brilliance and careful polishing by a smith—an image that heightens the immediacy and lethal precision of the battlefield scene.