Shloka 2

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

Devanagari script

ततः प्रववृते भीम: संग्रामो लोमहर्षण: । कर्णस्य पाण्डवानां च यमराष्ट्रविवर्धन:,उस समय कर्ण और पाण्डवोंका बड़ा भयंकर और रोमांचकारी संग्राम आरम्भ हुआ, जो यमराजके राज्यकी वृद्धि करनेवाला था

Transliteration

tataḥ pravavṛte bhīmaḥ saṅgrāmo lomaharṣaṇaḥ | karṇasya pāṇḍavānāṃ ca yamarāṣṭravivardhanaḥ ||

Translation

Da begann eine haarsträubende Schlacht—schrecklich in ihrer Wucht—zwischen Karṇa und den Pāṇḍavas, ein Kampf, der nur das Reich Yamas mehren sollte, indem er viele Krieger in den Tod sandte.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

प्रववृतेbegan, set in motion

भीमःBhīma

संग्रामःbattle

लोमहर्षणःhair-raising, thrilling

कर्णस्यof Karṇa

पाण्डवानाम्of the Pāṇḍavas

चand

यमराष्ट्रविवर्धनःincreasing Yama's realm (i.e., causing many deaths)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Karṇa

Pāṇḍavas

Yama

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the moral gravity of war: even when fought as a kṣatriya duty, battle inevitably feeds death’s realm (Yama’s dominion), reminding the listener that violence carries irreversible human cost and demands ethical seriousness.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that a terrifying battle has begun between Karṇa’s forces and the Pāṇḍavas—an engagement so deadly that it is described as increasing Yama’s kingdom, i.e., causing many deaths.