Shloka 21

भीमसेनस्य वेगाभिपातः—विशोकसारथिसंवादश्च

Bhīma’s surge and dialogue with charioteer Viśoka

Devanagari script

ततो धर्मसुतो राजन्‌ प्रगृह्मान्यन्महद्‌ धनु:

Transliteration

tato dharmasuto rājan pragṛhṇānyan mahad dhanuḥ

Translation

于是，王啊，法子（坚战，Yudhiṣṭhira）又举起一张巨弓，整肃其身以备再战——在战场的道义重压与不得不继续履行职责的逼迫之中，显出重新振作的决心。

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात् अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (तस्मात्/ततः = thereafter/from there)

• धर्मसुतः: the son of Dharma (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• धर्मसुतः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मसुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• प्रगृह्मान्: taking up/seizing
• प्रगृह्मान्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अन्यत्: another
• अन्यत्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• महत्: great/large
• महत्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• धनुः: bow
• धनुः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dharmasuta (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• bow (dhanuḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even the most dharma-minded ruler must sometimes act decisively in war: the verse highlights steadfastness in duty (kṣatriya-dharma) while acknowledging the ethical weight carried by Yudhiṣṭhira, who proceeds not from cruelty but from obligation and responsibility.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Yudhiṣṭhira, identified as Dharmasuta, takes up another powerful bow—an action marking readiness to re-engage or continue the combat sequence in the Karṇa Parva battle narrative.