Mahabharata · 7.37.17–18
॥
Devanāgarī
चापमण्डलम् एवास्य विस्फुरद् दिक्ष्व् अदृश्यत ॥
तमो घ्नतः सुदीप्तस्य सवितुर् मण्डलं यथा ॥
ज्याशब्दः शुश्रुवे तस्य तलशब्दश् च दारुणः ॥
महाशनिमुचः काले पयोदस्येव निस्वनः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
cāpamaṇḍalam evāsya visphurad dikṣv adṛśyata ||
tamo ghnataḥ sudīptasya savitur maṇḍalaṃ yathā ||
jyāśabdaḥ śuśruve tasya talaśabdaś ca dāruṇaḥ ||
mahāśanimucaḥ kāle payodasyeva nisvanaḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
चापमण्डलम्cāpamaṇḍalamthe circle of the bow [the bow's curve]; the circle of the bow
एवevaindeed; --
अस्यasyahis; his
विस्फुरत्visphuratquivering [flickering]; flickering
दिक्षुdikṣu[in] the directions [quarters]; [in] every direction
अदृश्यतadṛśyatawas seen [appeared]; appeared
तमःtamaḥdarkness; darkness
घ्नतःghnataḥdispelling [scattering]; [of the one] dispelling
सुदीप्तस्यsudīptasyabrightly blazing; [of the] brightly blazing
सवितुःsavituḥof the sun [Savitar]; of the sun
मण्डलम्maṇḍalamdisc [orb]; [like a] disc
यथाyathāas [like]; --
ज्याशब्दःjyāśabdaḥthe sound of the bowstring; the sound of the bowstring
शुश्रुवेśuśruvewas heard [resounded]; resounded
तस्यtasyahis; his
तलशब्दःtalaśabdaḥthe sound of the finger-guard [slap of the bracer]; the sound of the finger-guard
चcaand; --
दारुणःdāruṇaḥfearsome [terrible]; fearsome
महाशनिमुचःmahāśanimucaḥhurling great thunderbolts; hurling great thunderbolts
कालेkālein [its due] season [in its hour]; in its hour
पयोदस्यpayodasyaof the cloud [rain-cloud]; [like that] of a cloud
इवivalike [as]; --
निस्वनःnisvanaḥthe rumble [roar]; the rumble
Translation
The flickering circle of his bow appeared in every direction at once, like the disc of the brightly blazing sun dispelling darkness. The sound of his bowstring resounded, and the fearsome sound of his finger-guard, like the rumble of a cloud hurling great thunderbolts in its hour.
Version
46b35740fa81 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:22:09 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The boy's bow, flickering so fast that it appears everywhere at once, is likened to the solar disc dispelling darkness: his skill is a light that banishes gloom. And the sound of his bowstring is the thunder of a storm cloud. Thus his valor is shown through two elements at once: the light of the sun and the thunder of the storm. It is telling that the tradition chooses the highest images for the boy -- the sun and the storm cloud. The verse teaches that a master's perfect movement reaches such speed that it becomes like omnipresence -- the bow is seen in every direction at once; that true valor is like the sun dispelling darkness and like thunder heralding a storm; and that the tradition, clothing the boy in the images of luminaries and elements, reveals: a power beyond human measure works in him, luminous and fearsome at once.