Shloka 41

भीष्मरक्षण-उद्योगः, शिखण्डि-विवर्जनं, सर्वतोभद्र-व्यूहः

Protection of Bhīṣma, Exemption of Śikhaṇḍin, and the Sarvatobhadra Array

Devanagari script

पूर्णायतविसृष्टेन पीतेन निशितेन च । निर्बिभेद महाराज राजपुत्रं बृहदबलम्‌,राजेन्द्र! तदनन्तर धनुषको पूर्णरूपसे खींचकर छोड़े गये पानीदार तीखे बाणसे उसने राजकुमार बृहदूबलको विदीर्ण कर दिया

Transliteration

pūrṇāyatavisṛṣṭena pītena niśitena ca | nirbibheda mahārāja rājaputraṃ bṛhadbalam || rājendra! tad-anantaraṃ dhanuṣko pūrṇarūpase khīṃcakara choṛe gaye pānīdāra tīkhe bāṇase usane rājakuṃvāra bṛhadūbalako vidīrṇa kara diyā |

Translation

桑贾亚说道：大王啊，他以一支锋利之箭，将弓拉至满月而后放出，洞穿了力大无比的王子布里哈德巴拉（Bṛhadbala）。

Word by Word

• पूर्णायत: fully drawn/extended
• पूर्णायत: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्णायत (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• विसृष्टेन: released/shot
• विसृष्टेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विसृज् (धातु) → विसृष्ट (कृदन्त)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• पीतेन: yellow / (lit.) drunk; here: yellowish
• पीतेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पीत (कृदन्त/विशेषण; √पा 'to drink' / 'yellow' as adj.)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• निशितेन: sharp
• निशितेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निशित (कृदन्त/विशेषण; √शि/शा 'to sharpen')
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• निर्बिभेद: pierced/split
• Type: Verb
• Root: भिद् (धातु) with nir- → निर्बिभेद
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular

• महाराज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• राजपुत्रम्: the prince/king's son
• राजपुत्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजपुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• बृहदबलम्: Bṛhadbala (the mighty-armed one)
• बृहदबलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बृहद्बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Dhritarashtra (addressed as mahārāja/rājendra)
• Bṛhadbala (prince)
• arrow (bāṇa)
• bow/archery (dhanuṣ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the harsh ethical reality of dharma in war: a kṣatriya’s duty is executed through skill and resolve, yet every act on the battlefield carries irreversible moral and human weight.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports that an archer, drawing the bow fully, releases a sharp arrow that pierces the prince Bṛhadbala, describing a decisive strike in the ongoing combat.