Shloka 3

अर्जुनकर्णसंनिपातवर्णनम् / The Convergence of Arjuna and Karṇa

Devanagari script

अग्रगं धार्तराष्ट्राणां सर्वेषां शर्म वर्म च । रक्षितं वृषसेनेन सुषेणेन च धन्विना

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |

agragaṁ dhārtarāṣṭrāṇāṁ sarveṣāṁ śarma varma ca |

rakṣitaṁ vṛṣaseṇena suṣeṇena ca dhanvinā ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira sprach: „Karna war der Vorderste unter allen Söhnen Dhṛtarāṣṭras—ihre Zuflucht und ihr Harnisch zugleich. Bewacht wurde er von den Bogenschützen Vṛṣasena und Suṣeṇa.“

Word by Word

• अग्रगम्: leader, foremost one
• अग्रगम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्रग
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• धार्तराष्ट्राणाम्: of the Dhārtarāṣṭras (Kauravas)
• धार्तराष्ट्राणाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धार्तराष्ट्र
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• शर्म: welfare, comfort, protection
• शर्म: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वर्म: armor, protective covering
• वर्म: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• रक्षितम्: protected, guarded
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष्
• Form: Past passive participle (kta), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वृषसेनेन: by Vṛṣasena
• वृषसेनेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषसेन
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• सुषेणेन: by Suṣeṇa
• सुषेणेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुषेण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• धन्विना: by the archer
• धन्विना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन्विन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

Speaker

युधिषछ्िर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons (Kauravas/Dhārtarāṣṭras)
• Karna
• Vṛṣasena
• Suṣeṇa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical weight of leadership in war: a single eminent warrior can function as a community’s ‘shelter’ and ‘armor,’ implying responsibility, reliance, and the strategic-moral consequences when a side depends on one protector.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira describes Karna’s battlefield stature among the Kauravas and notes that Karna is being guarded by two archers—Vṛṣasena and Suṣeṇa—underscoring Karna’s centrality and the protective formation around him.