Shloka 48

अर्जुनकर्णसंनिपातवर्णनम् / The Convergence of Arjuna and Karṇa

Devanagari script

फाल्गुन! मेरे हृदयमें जिस कर्णकी शठतारूपी वायुसे प्रेरित हो अमर्षकी आग सदा प्रज्वलित रहती है “उस कर्णको आज युद्धमें पाकर मैंने मार डाला” ऐसा कहते हुए क्या तुम आज मेरी उस अताको बुझा दोगे? ।।

Transliteration

bravīhi me durlabham etad adya kathaṁ tvayā nihataḥ sūtaputraḥ | anudhyāye tvāṁ satataṁ pravīra vṛtre hate ’sau bhagavān ivendraḥ ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira sprach: „O Phālguna! In meinem Herzen lodert stets das Feuer des Zorns, angefacht vom Wind der Arglist Karṇas. Wenn du heute, nachdem du Karṇa in der Schlacht begegnet bist, wahrhaft sagen kannst: ‚Ich habe ihn getötet‘, wirst du dann endlich die Glut meines lange aufgestauten Grolls löschen? Sage es mir — denn heute scheint dies kaum möglich — wie hast du den Sohn des Wagenlenkers erschlagen? O Erster der Helden, unablässig denke ich an dich, wie man an den seligen Indra denkt, nachdem er Vṛtra erschlagen hat.“

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'bravīhi', 'definition': 'tell (me)

• speak'}, {'term': 'me', 'definition': 'to me

• my'}, {'term': 'durlabham', 'definition': 'hard to obtain

• scarcely possible'}, {'term': 'etat', 'definition': 'this'}, {'term': 'adya', 'definition': 'today

• now'}, {'term': 'katham', 'definition': 'how?'}, {'term': 'tvayā', 'definition': 'by you'}, {'term': 'nihataḥ', 'definition': 'slain

• killed'}, {'term': 'sūtaputraḥ', 'definition': 'son of a sūta (charioteer)

• epithet of Karna'}, {'term': 'anudhyāye', 'definition': 'I reflect upon

• I contemplate'}, {'term': 'tvām', 'definition': 'you'}, {'term': 'satatam', 'definition': 'constantly

• always'}, {'term': 'pravīra', 'definition': 'O great hero

• foremost among warriors'}, {'term': 'vṛtre', 'definition': 'Vṛtra (the serpent/demon)'}, {'term': 'hate', 'definition': 'when slain

• upon being killed'}, {'term': 'asau', 'definition': 'that (famed one)'}, {'term': 'bhagavān', 'definition': 'the blessed/lordly one

• venerable'}, {'term': 'iva', 'definition': 'like

• as'}, {'term': 'indraḥ', 'definition': 'Indra (king of the gods)'}]

Speaker

युधिषछ्िर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Phalguna (Arjuna)
• Karna
• Indra
• Vṛtra

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the moral psychology of war: righteous victory is not merely strategic but also ethical and emotional. Yudhiṣṭhira seeks assurance that a major source of injustice and deceit (as he perceives Karna) has been removed, so that his inner fire of resentment can finally be calmed; it also shows how heroic deeds are framed through dharmic exemplars (Arjuna compared to Indra).

What is happening in the narrative?

After the climactic battle in which Karna has fallen, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses Arjuna (Phalguna) and asks him to explain how Karna was slain. He expresses that his long-held anger—kept burning by memories of Karna’s perceived treachery—will be extinguished if Arjuna can truly declare that Karna has been killed, praising Arjuna by comparing him to Indra after slaying Vṛtra.