Shloka 29

अन्धकार-रजःसंमूढे रणाङ्गणे प्रदीपप्रकाशः | Illumination of the Army in Darkness and Dust

Devanagari script

तौ शोणितोक्षितैगत्रि: शरैश्छिन्नतनुच्छदौ । कर्णभीमौ व्यराजेतां निर्मुक्ताविव पन्नगौं,बाणोंद्वारा उन दोनोंके कवच कट गये थे और सारे अंग रक्तसे भींग गये थे। उस दशामें वे कर्ण और भीमसेन केंचुल छोड़कर निकले हुए दो सर्पोके समान शोभा पाने लगे। जैसे दो व्याप्र अपनी दाढ़ोंसे एक-दूसरेपर चोट करते हैं, उसी प्रकार वे दोनों पुरुषव्याप्र योद्धा परस्पर प्रहार कर रहे थे। वे दोनों वीर दो मेघोंके समान बाणधाराकी वर्षा कर रहे थे

Transliteration

tau śoṇitokṣitair gātraiḥ śaraiś chinnatanucchadau | karṇabhīmau vyarājetāṃ nirmuktāv iva pannagau ||

Translation

قال سانجيا: وقد ابتلّت أطرافهما بالدم، وقُطِّعت دروعهما بالسهام، لمع كارنا وبهيمسينا كأفعوين قد ألقيا جلدهما لتوِّهما.

Word by Word

तौthose two

शोणितwith blood

उक्षितsprinkled/drenched

अङ्गत्रिःhaving bodies/limbs (as their threefold/whole frame)

शरैःby arrows

छिन्नcut/torn

तनुच्छदौwhose body-coverings/armours (lit. body-covers) (were cut)

कर्णभीमौKarna and Bhima

विराजेताम्shone/appeared splendid

निर्मुक्तौfreed, cast off (their covering)

इवlike/as

पन्नगौtwo serpents

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Karṇa

Bhīmasena

arrows (śara)

armour/body-covering (tanu-cchada)

serpents (pannaga)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of steadfastness: even when wounded and stripped of armour, a warrior is expected to maintain courage and resolve. Ethically, it reflects the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension—glory and horror coexist in war, and endurance becomes a defining virtue within the battlefield code.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Karṇa and Bhīmasena in the midst of fierce combat. Their armour has been cut by arrows and their bodies are soaked in blood, yet they appear all the more formidable—likened to serpents that have shed their skins—continuing to attack each other relentlessly.