Shloka 17
Devanagari script
महाराज! धृष्टकेतुने दूसरा धनुष लेकर तिहत्तर तीखे शिलीमुख बाणोंद्वारा पौरवको गहरी चोट पहुँचायी ।।
Transliteration
tāv tu tatra maheṣvāsau mahāmātrau mahārathau | mahatā śaravarṣeṇa parasparam avidhyatām ||
Translation
三阇耶说道：大王啊，就在那战场上，那两位——皆为大弓手、显赫统帅、最上乘的摩诃车战士——不断互相击中，各自向对方倾泻密如骤雨的箭矢。
Word by Word
tauthose two
tau:
Karta
TypePronoun
Roottad
FormMasculine, Nominative, Dual
tubut/indeed
tu:
TypeIndeclinable
Roottu
tatrathere
tatra:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Roottatra
mahā-iṣvāsautwo great archers
mahā-iṣvāsau:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootmahāiṣvāsa
FormMasculine, Nominative, Dual
mahā-mātrautwo great warriors/commanders
mahā-mātrau:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootmahāmātra
FormMasculine, Nominative, Dual
mahā-rathautwo great chariot-fighters
mahā-rathau:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootmahāratha
FormMasculine, Nominative, Dual
mahatāwith great
mahatā:
Karana
TypeAdjective
Rootmahat
FormNeuter, Instrumental, Singular
śara-varṣeṇaby a shower of arrows
śara-varṣeṇa:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootśaravarṣa
FormNeuter, Instrumental, Singular
parasparameach other/mutually
parasparam:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootparaspara
avidhyatāmthey two pierced/wounded
avidhyatām:
TypeVerb
Rootvyadh (√vyadh)
FormImperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Dual, Parasmaipada
Speaker
संजय उवाच
Characters & Entities
S
SañjayaM
Mahārāja (Dhṛtarāṣṭra, implied addressee)T
two unnamed warriors (dual reference: maheṣvāsau/mahāmātrau/mahārathau)B
bowsA
arrows (śara)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
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ethic of steadfast engagement in battle—fighters meet force with force, accepting risk and injury as part of their duty—while also implicitly revealing the grim, escalating nature of warfare where mutual harm becomes the norm.
Sañjaya describes two elite warriors on the battlefield who are locked in a direct duel, repeatedly piercing each other with a powerful, continuous volley of arrows.