Mūla — the verse
Gita Press numberingअर्जुन उवाच
कथं भीष्ममहं संख्ये द्रोणं च मधुसूदन।
इषुभिः प्रतियोत्स्यामि पूजार्हावरिसूदन
arjuna uvācha
kathaṁ bhīṣhmam ahaṁ sankhye droṇaṁ cha madhusūdana
iṣhubhiḥ pratiyotsyāmi pūjārhāvari-sūdana
Anuṣṭubh
Translation
Swami Gambhīrānanda · follows Śaṅkara-bhāṣyaArjuna said, "O Madhusudana, O destroyer of enemies, how can I fight with arrows in battle against Bhisma and Drona, who are worthy of adoration?"
हिन्दी अनुवाद — Swami Tejomayānanda
अर्जुन ने कहा -- हे मधुसूदन ! मैं रणभूमि में किस प्रकार भीष्म और द्रोण के साथ बाणों से युद्ध करूँगा। हे अरिसूदन, वे दोनों ही पूजनीय हैं।।
Pronunciation — Vaamshii
from Vaamshiiअ उ
कथम् भीष्म महं सङ्ख्ये
द्रोणञ् च मधु सूदन
इषु भि# प्रति योत् स्यामि
पूजार् हावरि सूदन
॥ ४ ॥
Read each split group as one breath-unit; hyphens join pādas kept whole for the meter or a compound word. Symbols: # upadhmānīya (visarga before p/ph), % jihvāmūlīya (visarga before k/kh), ऽ avagraha (an elided a). Full method →
Word by word
padārthaarjunaḥ uvāchaArjun said
kathamhow
bhīṣhmamBheeshma
ahamI
sankhyein battle
droṇamDronacharya
chaand
madhu-sūdanaShree Krishn, slayer of the Madhu demon
iṣhubhiḥwith arrows
pratiyotsyāmishall I shoot
pūjā-arhauworthy of worship
ari-sūdanadestroyer of enemies
Themes
from The Thematic Companion to the Bhagavad GītāMeaning — Questions & Solutions
from Q&A with KnA2.4Whom does Arjuna say he cannot bring himself to attack with arrows?
Arjuna said, "O Madhusudana, O destroyer of enemies, how can I fight with arrows in battle against Bhisma and Drona, who are worthy of adoration?"
The verse itself, in Swami Gambhīrānanda's rendering, is the answer. For reasoned solutions to knotty verses, browse the Q&A index.