मत्स्याभासं जले वीक्ष्य ज्ञात्वा च तदवस्थितिम् । पार्थो यत्तोऽसृजद् बाणं नाच्छिनत् पस्पृशे परम् ॥ २४ ॥
matsyābhāsaṁ jale vīkṣya jñātvā ca tad-avasthitim pārtho yatto ’sṛjad bāṇaṁ nācchinat paspṛśe param
- matsya
- of the fish
- ābhāsam
- the reflection
- jale
- in the water
- vīkṣya
- looking at
- jñātvā
- knowing
- ca
- and
- tat
- its
- avasthitim
- location
- pārthaḥ
- Arjuna
- yattaḥ
- taking careful aim
- asṛjat
- shot
- bāṇam
- the arrow
- na acchinat
- he did not pierce it
- paspṛśe
- he touched it
- param
- only
Then Arjuna looked at the reflection of the fish in the water and determined its position. When he carefully shot his arrow at it, however, he did not pierce the target but merely grazed it.