Shloka 39

Devanagari script

कर्णोडपि समरे राजन्‌ विधूमोडग्निरिव ज्वलन्‌

Transliteration

karṇo 'pi samare rājan vidhūmo 'gnir iva jvalan

Translation

Sañjaya sagte: O König, selbst Karna, der in der Schlacht wie ein rauchloses Feuer loderte, strahlte in grimmigem Glanz hervor — ein Bild reiner, ungehinderter Kriegskraft mitten im Kampfgetümmel.

Word by Word

• कर्णः: Karna
• कर्णः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अपि: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

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

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

• विधूमः: smokeless
• विधूमः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विधूम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अग्निः: fire
• अग्निः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• ज्वलन्: blazing/burning
• ज्वलन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्वल्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Karna
• Dhritarashtra
• Agni (fire)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ideal of undistracted, resolute energy in the performance of one’s role—here, the kṣatriya’s battlefield duty—using the metaphor of a smokeless fire to suggest intensity without obscuration.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Karṇa is fiercely radiant on the battlefield, comparing his presence and power to a bright, smokeless flame as the fighting continues in the Karṇa Parva.