Shloka 87

Devanagari script

कृपस्य पार्थ: सशरं शरासनं हयान्‌ ध्वजान्‌ सारथिमेव पत्रिभि: | समार्पयद्‌ बाहुसहस्रविक्रम- स्तथा यथा वज्रधर: पुरा बले:

Transliteration

kṛpasya pārthaḥ saśaraṃ śarāsanaṃ hayān dhvajān sārathim eva patribhiḥ | samārpayad bāhusahasravikramaḥ tathā yathā vajradharaḥ purā baleḥ ||

Translation

قال كارنا: إن أرجونا ابن بريثا—الذي كانت بأسه كَبأس البطل ذي الألف ذراع—أطلق سهامًا مُريَّشة فقطع قوس كريبا مع سهامه، وأصاب كذلك خيوله ورايته وحتى سائس مركبته. فعل ذلك كما فعل إندرا حامل الصاعقة قديمًا حين حطّم أسلحة الملك بالي وعدّته في الأزمنة السالفة.

Word by Word

• कृपस्य: of Kripa
• कृपस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृप
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• पार्थः: Partha (Arjuna)
• पार्थः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सशरम्: together with arrows
• सशरम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-शर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• शरासनम्: bow
• शरासनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरासन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• हयान्: horses
• हयान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: हय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• ध्वजान्: banners/standards
• ध्वजान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वज
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• सारथिम्: charioteer
• सारथिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सारथि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• एव: indeed/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• पत्रिभिः: with feathered (arrows)
• पत्रिभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्रिन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• समार्पयत्: pierced/struck (lit. caused to be transfixed)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√अर्प्
• Form: Imperfect, 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• बाहुसहस्रविक्रमः: having prowess of a thousand arms
• बाहुसहस्रविक्रमः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाहु-सहस्र-विक्रम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तथा: thus/in that manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• यथा: as/just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• वज्रधरः: Vajradhara (Indra)
• वज्रधरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वज्रधर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पुरा: formerly/once
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा

• बलेः: of Bali
• बलेः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• कर्ण (Karna)
• पार्थ / अर्जुन (Arjuna)
• कृप / कृपाचार्य (Kṛpa, Kṛpācārya)
• वज्रधर इन्द्र (Indra)
• राजा बलि (King Bali)
• शरासन (bow)
• शर (arrows)
• हय (horses)
• ध्वज (banner/standard)
• सारथि (charioteer)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how, in the chaos of righteous war, mastery and force can decisively disable an opponent’s entire fighting apparatus (weapon, mobility, and support staff). It invites reflection on the ethical edge of battlefield conduct: victory may demand total neutralization, yet such acts also intensify the moral weight borne by warriors.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna narrates that Arjuna attacks Kṛpa with a volley of arrows, piercing not only Kṛpa’s bow (with its arrows) but also the horses, the banner, and even the charioteer—rendering Kṛpa’s chariot-combat effectively crippled. The feat is compared to Indra’s ancient overpowering of King Bali.