Shloka 31

Devanagari script

त्वामभिप्रेप्सुरायाति कर्ण निध्नन्‌ वरान्‌ रथान्‌ | असहामानो राधेय तं याहि प्रति भारत

Transliteration

tvām abhiprepsur āyāti karṇa nighnan varān rathān | asahāmāno rādheya taṁ yāhi prati bhārata ||

Translation

„Karna, Sohn der Rādhā! Arjuna rückt hierher vor, nur um dich zu erreichen, nachdem er viele der vornehmsten Wagenkämpfer niedergemacht hat. Für seine Feinde ist er unerträglich. O Rādheya, zieh aus, um jenem Helden der Bhāratas entgegenzutreten!“

Word by Word

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: त्वद्
• Form: any, Accusative, Singular

• अभिप्रेप्सुः: desiring to obtain (you)
• अभिप्रेप्सुः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-प्र-इप्स् (इच्छार्थक धातु; desiderative)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• आयाति: comes
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-या
• Form: Present, Indicative, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

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

• निघ्नन्: slaying
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-हन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, शतृ (present active participle)

• वरान्: excellent, great
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• रथान्: chariot-warriors / chariots
• रथान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• असहामानः: not enduring, intolerant (of enemies)
• असहामानः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-सह (सह् + नञ्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, शानच् (present middle participle)

• राधेय: O Radheya (son of Radha)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राधेय
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• याहि: go
• Type: Verb
• Root: या
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• प्रति: towards, against
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति

• भारत: O Bharata (descendant of Bharata)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• Karna
• Radha (as Karna’s matronymic reference)
• Bharata (dynastic epithet)
• chariot-warriors (rathins)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the kṣatriya ethic of meeting a worthy opponent directly: when a decisive challenger approaches, a warrior is urged to face him without evasion, accepting the responsibilities and consequences of battle.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna is described as advancing through the battlefield, having already felled many leading chariot-warriors, and now moving specifically to confront Karna. Karna is urged to go forward and meet Arjuna head-on.