Devanagari
अरत्नी द्वे अरत्निभ्यां जानुभ्यां चैव जानुनी
शिर: शीर्ष्णोरसोरस्तावन्योन्यमभिजघ्नतु: ॥ ३ ॥
Verse text
aratnī dve aratnibhyāṁ
jānubhyāṁ caiva jānunī
śiraḥ śīrṣṇorasoras tāv
anyonyam abhijaghnatuḥ
Synonyms
aratnī
—
against the opponent’s fists
;
dve
—
two
;
aratnibhyām
—
their fists
;
jānubhyām
—
their knees
;
ca eva
—
also
;
jānunī
—
against the opponent’s knees
;
śiraḥ
—
head
;
śīrṣṇā
—
with head
;
urasā
—
with chest
;
uraḥ
—
chest
;
tau
—
they in pairs
;
anyonyam
—
each other
;
abhijaghnatuḥ
—
struck .
Translation
They each struck fists against fists, knees against knees, head against head and chest against chest.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
They each struck fists against fists, knees against knees, head against head and chest against chest.
KB 10.44.3
They joined palm to palm, calf to calf, head to head, chest to chest and began to strike each other.
Purport
The word
aratni
in this verse may indicate the elbow as well as the fist. Thus blows were perhaps also struck with the elbow, a technique seen today in various martial arts.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Aratni refers to making a fist with exception of the little finger. As fighting in this way is very difficult, it is not as commonly known as fighting with the full fist. But just as Krsna invented new ways of playing on the flute, so he also fought in this way with great skill. Though Canura experience great difficult with this, he accepted this style to show his bravery.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
Each fist of one wrestler struck the fist of his opponent. This description refers to Kṛṣṇa and Cāṇūra (tau). They struck each other with their elbows (aratnī). Śrīdhara Svāmī defines aratni as the measurement from the middle of the arm to the fist, excluding the little finger. This however cannot be used in fighting. Though this can also refer to using that bodily part for fighting, it is not possible to use this part of the arm for striking the opponent because the little finger is extended. Nor is such a technique well known in wrestling. Thus aratni refers to the fist, which is one of the limbs used in the measurement. Later his limbs including the aratni will be mentioned in the commentary. Or aratni means the elbow according to Viśva-prakāśa and Dvirūpa-kośa.