Mahabharata 7.149.683 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 149, Shloka 683

अलंबलवधः (Alaṃbala-vadhaḥ) / The Slaying of Alaṃbala and the Advance toward Karṇa

Devanagari script

दुर्योधनरथं तूर्णमारुरोह विनि:श्वसन्‌ । राजन्‌! उस समय सारी सेनाओंमें महान्‌ हाहाकार होने लगा। महाराज! सात्यकिके बाणोंसे रथहीन किया गया कर्ण भी लंबी साँस खींचता हुआ तुरंत ही दुर्योधनके रथपर जा बैठा

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | duryodhana-rathaṁ tūrṇam āruroha viniḥśvasan | rājan! tadā sarvāsu senāsu mahān hāhākāro 'bhavat | mahārāja! sātyaki-bāṇair ratha-hīnaḥ kṛtaḥ karṇo 'pi dīrghaṁ śvāsaṁ gṛhītvā tūrṇam eva duryodhanasya rathe nyaviśat |

Translation

قال سانجيا: وهو يلهث صعد مسرعًا إلى عربة دوريوذانا. أيها الملك، في تلك اللحظة ارتفع صخبٌ عظيم في جميع الجيوش. أيها المَهاراجا، إن كارنا أيضًا—وقد جُرِّد من عربته بسهام ساتياكي—استنشق نفسًا طويلًا ثم جلس من فوره على عربة دوريوذانا.

Word by Word

• दुर्योधन-रथम्: Duryodhana's chariot
• दुर्योधन-रथम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्योधन + रथ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तूर्णम्: quickly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तूर्ण

• आरुरोह: mounted / climbed onto
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-रुह्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• विनिःश्वसन्: breathing hard / sighing
• विनिःश्वसन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-निः-श्वस्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• संजय (Sanjaya)
• धृतराष्ट्र (Dhritarashtra) [addressed as राजन्/महाराज]
• दुर्योधन (Duryodhana)
• कर्ण (Karna)
• सात्यकि (Satyaki)
• रथ (chariot)
• सेना (armies)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage highlights the fragility of power in war: even renowned heroes can be suddenly reduced to dependence. Ethically, it points to how choices and alliances (loyalty, rivalry, and mutual reliance) are revealed under extreme pressure, and how pride is confronted by necessity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Satyaki’s arrows have rendered Karna chariotless. Amid a widespread uproar across the armies, Karna—breathing heavily—quickly climbs onto Duryodhana’s chariot, indicating an urgent tactical regrouping and the continued coordination of the Kaurava leadership in battle.