Shloka 14

कर्णार्जुनसमागमः — The Karṇa–Arjuna Confrontation

Cosmic Spectatorship and Vows

Devanagari script

पार्थेन समरे राजन्‌ कृतो घोरो जनक्षय: । विहता रथिन: पेतु: पार्थचापच्युतै: शरै:

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | pārthena samare rājan kṛto ghoro janakṣayaḥ | vihatā rathinaḥ petuḥ pārthacāpacyutaiḥ śaraiḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: „O König, in der Schlacht bewirkte Pārtha (Arjuna) eine schreckliche Vernichtung von Menschen. Von den aus Pārthas Bogen gelösten Pfeilen getroffen, stürzten viele Wagenkämpfer zu Boden. Das Bild macht die düstere ethische Last des Krieges sichtbar: Selbst wenn er für eine Sache geführt wird, wird das Schlachtfeld zu einem Ort, an dem menschliches Leben rasch und unerbittlich ausgelöscht wird.“

Word by Word

• पार्थेन: by Partha (Arjuna)
• पार्थेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• समरे: in battle
• समरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: समर
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• कृतः: was made / was done
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• घोरः: terrible
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• जनक्षयः: destruction of people (slaughter)
• जनक्षयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनक्षय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विहताः: struck down / slain
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + हन्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• रथिनः: chariot-warriors
• रथिनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पेतुः: fell
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत्
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• पार्थचापच्युतैः: released from Partha's bow
• पार्थचापच्युतैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पार्थचापच्युत
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• शरैः: by arrows
• शरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (addressed as rājan)
• Pārtha (Arjuna)
• battlefield (samara)
• bow (cāpa)
• arrows (śara)
• chariot-warriors (rathinaḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the stark moral reality of war: even when a warrior acts within kṣatriya duty, the immediate outcome is ghastly human loss (janakṣaya). It invites reflection on the ethical weight borne by rulers and warriors who choose or sustain conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Arjuna (Pārtha) is devastating the battlefield—his arrows, shot from his bow, are striking down and felling many chariot-warriors.