Shloka 21

Devanagari script

सम्प्रदत्तास्त्रशिक्षा वै पपानीकविनाशनी । सतां शिक्षामधिष्ठाय कुर्वन्‌ परबलक्षयम्‌

Transliteration

sampradattāstraśikṣā vai pāṇḍavānīkavināśanī | satāṃ śikṣām adhiṣṭhāya kurvan parabalakṣayam, tāta |

Translation

三阇耶说道：“依凭那曾被授予的神兵教诲——足以摧毁般度婆大军的教诲——并坚立于贤者所传的戒律之上，亲爱的啊，毗湿摩不断使敌军走向覆灭。”

Word by Word

• सम्प्रदत्ता: having been bestowed/given
• सम्प्रदत्ता: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-प्र-दा (धातु) → सम्प्रदत्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• अस्त्र-शिक्षाः: weapons-trainings / instruction in weapons
• अस्त्र-शिक्षाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्र + शिक्षा
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• पपानीक-विनाशनी: destroyer of the enemy-army
• पपानीक-विनाशनी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पपानीक + विनाशनी
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सताम्: of the good/noble (people)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• शिक्षाम्: instruction/discipline
• शिक्षाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिक्षा
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अधिष्ठाय: having resorted to / having taken refuge in
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधि-स्था (धातु) → अधिष्ठाय (क्त्वान्त अव्यय)

• कुर्वन्: doing; making; performing
• कुर्वन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कुर्वत् (शतृ-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पर-बल-क्षयम्: destruction of the enemy-force
• पर-बल-क्षयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर + बल + क्षय
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तात: O dear one / O son
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Bhishma
• Pandavas (Pandava army/host)
• Parashurama (implied by context of bestowed weapon-training)
• Kaurava side (implied as Bhishma’s side)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the power and responsibility inherent in transmitted knowledge: weapon-training (astra-śikṣā) received from an eminent teacher becomes decisive in war. It also suggests that disciplined learning, grounded in the standards of the noble (satām), can be applied with unwavering effectiveness—raising ethical reflection on how great skills are used in a righteous yet tragic conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya describes Bhishma’s battlefield dominance: drawing upon the weapon-instruction he had received earlier (traditionally from Parashurama), Bhishma is actively causing heavy destruction to the opposing (Pandava) forces during the Kurukshetra war.