Shloka 7

Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 58 — Arjuna’s Arrow-Storm and Relief of Bhīmasena

Devanagari script

तयोरासीन्महाराज संग्रामो लोमहर्षण: । धृष्टय्युम्नस्तु राधेयं शरेणानतपर्वणा

Transliteration

tayor āsīn mahārāja saṅgrāmo lomaharṣaṇaḥ | dhṛṣṭadyumnas tu rādheyaṃ śareṇānataparvaṇā ||

Translation

قال سانجيا: أيها الملك، نشبت بينهما معركة تقشعرّ لها الأبدان وتنتصب لها الأشعار. ثم إن دْهْرِشْتَديومنَ (Dhṛṣṭadyumna) أصاب رادْهِيَ (Rādheya—كارنا) بسهمٍ محكم العُقَد غير مكسور المفاصل، فاشتدّ بذلك اصطدام البطلين اشتدادًا.

Word by Word

• तयोः: of those two
• तयोः: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Dual

• आसीत्: was
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Imperfect, 3rd, Singular

• महाराज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• संग्रामः: battle
• संग्रामः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: संग्राम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• लोमहर्षणः: hair-raising, thrilling
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोमहर्षण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धृष्टद्युम्नः: Dhrishtadyumna
• धृष्टद्युम्नः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृष्टद्युम्न
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• राधेयम्: Radheya (Karna)
• राधेयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राधेय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• शरेण: with an arrow
• शरेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• अनतपर्वणा: having unbent joints (i.e., straight-jointed)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनतपर्वन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Dhṛṣṭadyumna
• Rādheya (Karna)
• arrow (śara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the Mahābhārata’s ethic of kṣatriya confrontation: when rival champions meet, the conflict becomes intense and consequential, and each act (like a well-aimed arrow) carries moral and strategic weight within the larger dharmic crisis of the war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that a terrifying duel has erupted between Dhṛṣṭadyumna and Karna, and that Dhṛṣṭadyumna strikes Karna with a powerful, firm arrow, marking a sharp moment in their direct engagement.