Shloka 18

भीमसेन–कर्णयुद्धवर्णनम्

Description of the Bhīmasena–Karṇa Engagement

Devanagari script

अमर्षिता महाशड्खान्‌ द्मुर्वीरा महारथा: । कृते प्रतिकरिष्यन्त: केशवस्यार्जुनस्य च

Transliteration

amarṣitā mahāśaṅkhān dhmuvīrā mahārathāḥ | kṛte pratikariṣyantaḥ keśavasyārjunasya ca ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Enraged, those mighty warriors—great chariot-fighters—blew their great conches, resolved to strike back at Keśava and Arjuna.

Word by Word

• अमर्षिताः: angered, indignant
• अमर्षिताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमर्षित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• महाशङ्खान्: great conches
• महाशङ्खान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाशङ्ख
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• ध्मुर्वीराः: heroes who blew (conches)
• ध्मुर्वीराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्मुर्वीर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• महारथाः: great chariot-warriors
• महारथाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• कृते: in/for (what was) done; for the deed
• कृते: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• प्रतिकरिष्यन्तः: intending to retaliate; about to counteract
• प्रतिकरिष्यन्तः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति + कृ
• Form: Future (periphrastic/participle use), Plural, Masculine, Nominative

• केशवस्य: of Keshava (Krishna)
• केशवस्य: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• अर्जुनस्य: of Arjuna
• अर्जुनस्य: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुन
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

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

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)
• Arjuna
• mahāśaṅkha (conch-shells)
• mahāratha (great chariot-warriors)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how anger (amarṣa) and wounded honor in warfare drive a conscious resolve to retaliate, showing the ethical danger of letting resentment dictate action and perpetuate a cycle of counter-violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that the opposing great chariot-warriors, enraged, blow their conches as a martial signal and steel themselves to strike back against Kṛṣṇa (Keśava) and Arjuna.