Shloka 256

Adhyāya 41 — Kṛṣṇa’s Battlefield Briefing and the Renewal of the Great Engagement

Devanagari script

तस्याहमद्यातिरथस्य काया- च्छिरो हरिष्यामि शितै: पृषत्कै: । 'श्वेतवाहन अर्जुन मानी

Transliteration

tasya aham adyātirathasya kāyāc chiro hariṣyāmi śitaiḥ pṛṣatkaiḥ |

Translation

三阇耶说道：“今日我将以锋利的箭矢，把那位强大的阿底罗陀（atiratha）之首从其身躯上斩落。”

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Nominative, Singular

• अद्य: today
• अद्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य

• अतिरथस्य: of the great chariot-warrior
• अतिरथस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिरथ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• कायात्: from the body
• कायात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: काय
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• शिरः: head
• शिरः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• हरिष्यामि: I will take away / sever
• हरिष्यामि: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), First, Singular, Parasmaipada

• शितैः: with sharp
• शितैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शित
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• पृषत्कैः: arrows
• पृषत्कैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृषत्क
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Atiratha (as a warrior-class epithet)
• Arrows (pṛṣatka)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the kṣatriya ethos of unwavering resolve in battle, while implicitly raising ethical tension: vows of destruction and pride in prowess operate within (and sometimes strain) the ideals of dharma-yuddha.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the heat of the Kurukṣetra war, a combatant declares an intention to behead a foremost warrior (an atiratha) using sharp arrows; Sañjaya reports this to Dhṛtarāṣṭra as part of the unfolding battlefield account.