Shloka 25

Devanagari script

उद्धिन्नरुधिरी कृष्णौ भारद्वाजस्य सायकै: । शितैश्नितौ व्यरोचेतां कर्णिकारैरिवाचलौ,द्रोणाचार्यके तीखे बाणोंसे श्रीकृष्ण और अर्जुनके शरीर छिदे हुए थे और उनसे रक्तकी धारा बह रही थी। उस समय वे लाल कनेरसे भरे हुए दो पर्वतोंके समान सुशोभित होते थे

Transliteration

uddhinnarudhirī kṛṣṇau bhāradvājasya sāyakaiḥ | śitaiḥ śnitau vyarocetāṃ karṇikārair ivācalau ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: „Kṛṣṇa und Arjuna, deren Körper von den scharfen Pfeilen des Sohnes Bhāradvājas (Droṇa) durchbohrt waren und aus denen Blut strömte, leuchteten wie zwei Berge, bedeckt mit roten karṇikāra-Blüten.“

Word by Word

उद्धिन्नरुधिरीhaving blood flowing out (bleeding profusely)

कृष्णौKrishna (and the other, i.e., Arjuna) / the two Krishnas

भारद्वाजस्यof Bharadvaja (i.e., Drona)

सायकैःwith arrows

शितैःsharp

नितौpierced / struck

व्यरोचेताम्they shone / appeared splendid

कर्णिकारैःwith karnikāra flowers (golden blossoms)

इवlike / as if

अचलौtwo mountains

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Kṛṣṇa

Arjuna

Droṇācārya (Bhāradvāja’s son)

arrows (sāyaka)

karṇikāra flowers

mountains (acala)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights steadfastness in dharma under extreme adversity: even when wounded and bleeding, the heroes do not collapse in spirit. It also ethically frames war as costly—its ‘splendor’ is inseparable from suffering—inviting reflection on duty, resilience, and the tragic beauty of valor.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna after being struck by Droṇa’s sharp arrows. Their bodies are pierced and blood flows, yet they appear radiant—compared to two mountains adorned with karṇikāra blossoms—emphasizing both their grievous wounds and their undiminished presence on the battlefield.