Shloka 20

Devanagari script

कर्णोडपि रथियनां श्रेष्ठ श्नापमुद्यम्य वीर्यवान्‌ । कौरवाग्रयै: परिवृत: शक्रो देवगणैरिव

Transliteration

karṇo 'pi rathināṁ śreṣṭhaḥ śnāpam udyamya vīryavān | kauravāgryaiḥ parivṛtaḥ śakro devagaṇair iva ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Auch Karṇa—kraftvoll und der Beste unter den Wagenkämpfern—hob seine Waffe, umringt von den führenden Kauravas, wie Indra von den Scharen der Götter umgeben.

Word by Word

कर्णःKarna

अपिalso/even

रथिनाम्of chariot-warriors

श्रेष्ठःthe best

श्नापम्a (weapon/implement) ‘śnāpa’ (uncertain reading/meaning)

उद्यम्यhaving lifted/raised

वीर्यवान्mighty/possessing valor

कौरव-अग्र्यैःby the foremost Kauravas

परिवृतःsurrounded

शक्रःIndra

देव-गणैःby groups of gods

इवlike/as

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

क

कर्ण (Karna)

क

कौरव (Kauravas)

श

शक्र/इन्द्र (Indra)

द

देवगण (hosts of gods)

र

रथिन् (chariot-warriors)

श

श्नाप (weapon)

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 underscores how martial power is amplified by collective support—leaders appear ‘Indra-like’ when backed by their host—yet it also invites reflection on the ethical ambiguity of glory gained through factional warfare.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Karṇa taking up his weapon and standing prominently in battle, surrounded by the chief Kaurava warriors, compared to Indra surrounded by the gods—signaling readiness for a major clash.