Shloka 15

Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 19 — Saṃśaptaka–Trigarta Assault and Aindra-astra Counter

Devanagari script

मुष्टिश्लिष्टायतज्यं च व्यायताभ्यां महद्‌ धनु: । दोर्भ्या विस्फारयन्‌ भासि महाजलदवद्‌ भशम्‌

Transliteration

muṣṭiśliṣṭāyatajyāṃ ca vyāyatābhyāṃ mahad dhanuḥ | dorbhyāṃ visphārayan bhāsi mahājaladavad bhṛśam ||

Translation

三阇耶说：“你的弓弦似乎一面紧贴于拳中，一面又舒展成宽广的弧。及至你以双臂之雄力挽张大弓，使其轰然作响，你便放出炽盛光辉——如同广大的雨云。”

Word by Word

• मुष्टि-श्लिष्ट-आयत-ज्यं: having a bowstring pressed by the fist and stretched out
• मुष्टि-श्लिष्ट-आयत-ज्यं: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुष्टि + श्लिष्ट (√श्लिष्) + आयत (√यम्) + ज्या
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• व्यायताभ्याम्: with (your) outstretched (arms) / by the two extended (ones)
• व्यायताभ्याम्: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यायत (√यम्)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Dual

• महत्: great, huge
• महत्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• धनुः: bow
• धनुः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• दोर्भ्याम्: with (your) two arms
• दोर्भ्याम्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोर्
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Dual

• विस्फारयन्: stretching, drawing (it) wide
• विस्फारयन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + √स्फुर्/√स्फार् (causative sense)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भासि: you shine, you appear splendid
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भास्
• Form: Present, 2, Singular, Parasmaipada

• महा-जलद-वत्: like a great cloud
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: महा + जलद + वत्

• भशम्: splendour, radiance (reading uncertain due to textual corruption)
• भशम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भश (uncertain; likely intended भासम्/भासं or भासम् from √भास्)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• bow (dhanuḥ)
• bowstring (jyā)
• great cloud/rain-cloud (mahājalada)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how disciplined strength and mastery of one’s weapon can appear as awe-inspiring beauty; in the epic’s ethical frame, such power is morally weighty and must be governed by dharma, since splendor in battle is not itself a guarantee of righteousness.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya vividly describes a warrior’s archery: the bowstring seems simultaneously gripped in the fist and stretched in a curve, and as the warrior draws and makes the great bow thunder, his presence becomes formidable and radiant like a massive rain-cloud.