Shloka 4

Devanagari script

तामापतन्तीं सहसा घोररूपां विशाम्पते । द्विधा चिच्छेद ते पुत्र: क्षुरप्रेण महारथ:,प्रजानाथ! उस भयंकर शक्तिको सहसा अपनी ओर आती देख आपके महारथी पुत्र दुर्योधनने एक क्षुरप्रके द्वारा उसके दो टुकड़े कर डाले। उस शक्तिको गिरी हुई देख अत्यन्त क्रोधमें भरे हुए अर्जुनकुमारने दुर्योधनकी छाती तथा भुजाओंमें चोट पहुँचायी

Transliteration

tām āpatantīṃ sahasā ghorarūpāṃ viśāmpate | dvidhā ciccheda te putraḥ kṣurapreṇa mahārathaḥ ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：人民之主啊！见那可怖兵器骤然扑向自己，你的儿子——大车战士——以“剃刃箭”一击，将其斩为两段。

Word by Word

ताम्her/that (f.)

आपतन्तीम्falling/coming upon (rushing)

सहसाsuddenly

घोररूपाम्of terrible form

विशाम्पतेO lord of the people

द्विधाinto two (in two parts)

चिच्छेदcut, split

तेyour

पुत्रःson

क्षुरप्रेणwith a razor-edged (arrow/weapon)

महारथःgreat chariot-warrior

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Duryodhana

śakti (weapon/spear-like missile)

kṣurapra (razor-edged missile/weapon)

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 battlefield ethic where alertness and decisive action are essential; power is checked by counter-power, and prowess (śaurya, kauśala) becomes the immediate instrument of survival, even when moral restraint is not foregrounded.

What is happening in the narrative?

A terrifying weapon (śakti) rushes toward Duryodhana; he responds instantly and splits it into two with a razor-edged missile (kṣurapra), as Sañjaya reports the event to Dhṛtarāṣṭra.