Shloka 28
Devanagari script
पृथिवीक्षयशंसीनि निमित्तानि पितामह
Transliteration
pṛthivīkṣayaśaṃsīni nimittāni pitāmaha
Translation
Karna said: “O Grandsire, these omens foretell the wasting away of the earth—signs that proclaim widespread destruction.”
Word by Word
पृथिवीक्षयशंसीनिforetelling the destruction of the earth
पृथिवीक्षयशंसीनि:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootपृथिवी-क्षय-शंसिन्
FormNeuter, Nominative, Plural
निमित्तानिomens, signs
निमित्तानि:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootनिमित्त
FormNeuter, Nominative, Plural
पितामहO grandsire (Bhishma)
पितामह:
TypeNoun
Rootपितामह
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
Speaker
कर्ण उवाच
Characters & Entities
K
KarnaB
Bhīṣma (Pitāmaha)P
Pṛthivī (Earth)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Cross References
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral gravity of war: when collective adharma ripens, nature itself seems to signal impending ruin. Omens function as ethical warnings—inviting reflection and restraint even when duty and ambition drive conflict.
In the Bhīṣma Parva’s war setting, Karna addresses Bhīṣma as ‘Pitāmaha’ and points to ominous signs, interpreting them as portents of vast destruction and the earth’s suffering amid the coming battle.