Shloka 139

अर्जुनस्य शीघ्रप्रयाणं भीम-शकुनियुद्धं च

Arjuna’s Rapid Advance and the Bhīma–Śakuni Encounter

Devanagari script

एवमुक्तस्तु कृष्णेन गृह भल्लांक्षतुर्दश । त्वरमाणस्त्वराकाले द्रौणेर्धनुरथच्छिनत्‌

Transliteration

evam uktas tu kṛṣṇena gṛhītvā bhallān caturdaśa | tvaramāṇas tvarā-kāle drauṇer dhanur atha cchinat ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：克里希纳如此告诫之后，阿周那迅疾取起十四支“婆罗”利箭；抓住那必须争速的刹那，他斩断了德劳尼（阿湿婆他曼）的弓。

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• उक्तः: having been spoken to / addressed
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, kta (past passive participle)

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• कृष्णेन: by Krishna
• कृष्णेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• गृह्य: having taken
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह्
• Form: lyap (absolutive/gerund)

• भल्लान्: barbed arrows (bhallas)
• भल्लान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भल्ल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• चतुर्दश: fourteen
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्दश
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• त्वरमाणः: hastening
• त्वरमाणः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्वर्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, śatṛ (present active participle)

• त्वराकाले: at the time of haste
• त्वराकाले: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वरा-काल
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• द्रौणेः: of Drona's son (Ashvatthaman)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रौणि
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

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

• अथ: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• अच्छिनत्: cut (off)
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Kṛṣṇa
• Arjuna
• Drauṇi (Aśvatthāman)
• bhalla (arrow)
• bow (dhanus)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in warfare, dharma is upheld through disciplined responsiveness: Kṛṣṇa’s counsel and Arjuna’s timely action show that preventing an opponent’s harmful escalation can be an ethical necessity, not mere aggression.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Kṛṣṇa speaks, Arjuna rapidly takes fourteen bhalla-arrows and, acting at the critical moment, cuts Aśvatthāman’s bow—disarming him and shifting the immediate balance of the fight.