Shloka 17

कर्णभीमसमागमः | Karṇa–Bhīma Encounter

Devanagari script

भीमसेनश्न बलवान्‌ धनुष्कोट्याभिचोदित:

Transliteration

bhīmasenaś ca balavān dhanuṣkoṭyābhicoditaḥ

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Da drängte der mächtige Bhīmasena, gleichsam vom eigenen Bogenende angetrieben, nach vorn—sein Entschluss schärfte sich zur Tat im Getöse des Krieges, wo Kraft nicht allein aus Zorn entspringt, sondern aus dem Dharma des Kriegers: Kraft mit Kraft zu beantworten.

Word by Word

• भीमसेनः: Bhimasena (Bhima)
• भीमसेनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीमसेन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• बलवान्: mighty, strong
• बलवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धनुष्कोट्या: with the tip/end of (his) bow
• धनुष्कोट्या: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुष्कोटि
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• अभिचोदितः: impelled/urged on, driven forward
• अभिचोदितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-चुद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, Past passive participle (क्त)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīmasena (Bhīma)
• bow (dhanuḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights kṣatriya resolve: in the battlefield, a warrior’s strength is not passive; it is consciously directed and intensified into decisive action, aligning personal power with the duty to confront aggression.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Bhīma as powerful and being spurred into action—poetically expressed as ‘urged by the tip of his bow’—indicating a forceful advance or renewed attack in the ongoing battle.