Shloka 21

Devanagari script

पुन: पुन: समाश्चस्य प्रायुध्यत मदोत्कट: । अर्जुनस्तु रणे राजन्‌ योधयन्‌ संव्यराजत

Transliteration

punaḥ punaḥ samāśvasya prāyudhyata madotkaṭaḥ | arjunastu raṇe rājan yodhayan saṁvyarājata ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：一次又一次地重整胆气，你的儿子杜沙娑那——因傲慢之醉而凶猛——纵然被击退，仍以更新的力量再度冲入战阵。然而，大王啊，阿周那在那战场上交战时格外耀眼，于战争的狂暴之中显出娴熟与沉稳。

Word by Word

• पुनः: again
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

• पुनः: again
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

• समाश्वस्य: having regained composure
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√श्वस्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), parasmaipada (usage), having recovered breath / having taken heart

• प्रायुध्यत: fought forth / fought again
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√युध्
• Form: लङ् (imperfect), आत्मनेपद, 3, singular

• मदोत्कटः: fierce with intoxication/pride
• मदोत्कटः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मदोत्कट
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• अर्जुनः: Arjuna
• अर्जुनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुन
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• योधयन्: fighting / causing to fight
• योधयन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: √युध् (causative: योधयति)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), masculine, nominative, singular

• संव्यराजत: shone splendidly
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-वि-√राज्
• Form: लङ् (imperfect), परस्मैपद, 3, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Arjuna
• Duḥśāsana
• Bhīṣma
• battlefield (Kurukṣetra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse contrasts reckless, pride-driven aggression with disciplined excellence in action: repeated return to battle can arise from mere arrogance (mada), while true radiance in war comes from steadiness, skill, and purposeful conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Duḥśāsana, though checked, repeatedly regains courage and re-enters the fight with force, while Arjuna stands out on the battlefield, fighting brilliantly and commanding the scene.