Shloka 21

कर्ण-पाण्डव-संमर्दः — Karṇa and Arjuna’s Intensified Engagement

Devanagari script

ततो विस्फार्य सुमहद्धेमपृष्ठं दुरासदम्‌ । चापं भरतशार्टूलस्त्यक्तात्मा कर्णमभ्ययात्‌,उस समय भरतवंशके उस सिंहने अपने जीवनका मोह छोड़कर सुवर्णमय पृष्ठभागसे सुशोभित दुर्धर्ष एवं विशाल धनुषकी टंकार करते हुए वहाँ कर्णपर धावा किया

Transliteration

tato visphārya sumahad hemapṛṣṭhaṁ durāsadam | cāpaṁ bharataśārṭūlas tyaktātmā karṇam abhyayāt ||

Translation

Then the tiger among the Bharatas, having cast off all concern for his own life, twanged his vast, hard-to-resist bow with its golden-backed sheen and charged straight at Karṇa. The moment frames a warrior’s grim resolve: personal survival is set aside in pursuit of the chosen duty of battle, even when the opponent is formidable.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

विस्फार्यhaving twanged/caused to resound

सुमहत्very great, huge

हेमपृष्ठम्gold-backed (with a golden back)

दुरासदम्hard to approach/assail

चापम्bow

भरतशार्दूलःthe tiger among the Bharatas

त्यक्तात्माone who has abandoned self-concern (reckless of life)

कर्णम्Karna

अभ्ययात्went towards/attacked

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Karṇa

bharataśārṭūla (Arjuna, by epithet)

cāpa (bow)

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

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the Kṣatriya ideal of steadfastness in battle: a warrior, facing a daunting foe, acts with full resolve and without clinging to personal safety. Ethically, it portrays commitment to one’s chosen duty (svadharma) and the readiness to bear its consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Arjuna (called ‘bharataśārṭūla’) twanging his immense, golden-backed bow and then advancing to attack Karṇa, signaling the start or intensification of a direct confrontation.