Shloka 7

अर्जुनकर्णसंनिपातवर्णनम् / The Convergence of Arjuna and Karṇa

Devanagari script

अनलानिलयोस्तुल्यं तेजसा च बलेन च | पातालमिव गम्भीर सुहृदां नन्दिवर्धनम्‌

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | analānilayostulyaṁ tejasā ca balena ca | pātālam iva gambhīraṁ suhṛdāṁ nandivardhanam |

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira sprach: „An Glanz war er wie Agni, an Kraft wie Vāyu; tief wie Pātāla, mehrte er die Freude der Freunde. Doch für meine Verbündeten war er wie Yama selbst. Großes Glück ist es, dass ihr zwei — wie ein Götterpaar, das nach dem Sieg über einen Asura heimkehrt — hierher zurückgekehrt seid, nachdem ihr Karṇa in der großen Schlacht erschlagen habt.“

Word by Word

• अनल: of fire
• अनल: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनल
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• अनिलयोः: of (the two) winds / of wind
• अनिलयोः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनिल
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Dual

• तुल्यम्: equal, comparable
• तुल्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुल्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तेजसा: by/with splendor, energy
• तेजसा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

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

• बलेन: by/with strength
• बलेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

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

• पातालम्: the netherworld
• पातालम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• इव: like, as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• गम्भीरम्: deep, profound
• गम्भीरम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम्भीर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सुहृदाम्: of friends / for friends
• सुहृदाम्: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुहृद्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• नन्दिवर्धनम्: increasing joy (of friends)
• नन्दिवर्धनम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नन्दिवर्धन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

युधिषछ्िर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Agni (Anala)
• Vāyu (Anila)
• Pātāla
• Yama
• Karṇa
• Devas
• Asura

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames martial success within ethical reflection: true greatness is measured not only by power (tejas, bala) but also by depth of character and the capacity to bring joy to allies; even in war, one acknowledges the formidable worth of the fallen and treats victory as a matter of fortune rather than mere pride.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira speaks in the aftermath of Karṇa’s fall, praising the extraordinary qualities of the warrior and expressing that it is a great stroke of fortune that the two victorious heroes have returned after killing Karṇa in the great battle, likening them to gods returning after defeating an asura.