Shloka 231

घटोत्कच-कर्णयुद्धम्

Ghaṭotkaca–Karna Combat and the Release of Śakti

Devanagari script

तेनैवमभ्यतिक्रान्त: श्वेताश्वः कृष्णसारथि: । तस्य दोषं न पश्यामि द्रोणस्थानेन हेतुना

Transliteration

tenaivam abhyatikrāntaḥ śvetāśvaḥ kṛṣṇasārathiḥ | tasya doṣaṃ na paśyāmi droṇasthānena hetunā ||

Translation

Thus, though he has been so overstepped and outmaneuvered, the warrior of the white horses—whose charioteer is Kṛṣṇa—I do not perceive any fault in him; the cause lies in the position and advantage of Droṇa’s battle-array and station.

Word by Word

तेनby that/therefore

एवम्thus, in this manner

अभ्यतिक्रान्तःhaving overstepped/violated

श्वेताश्वःthe one with white horses (Arjuna)

कृष्णसारथिःhe whose charioteer is Kṛṣṇa (Arjuna)

तस्यof him

दोषम्fault, blame

नnot

पश्यामिI see

द्रोणस्थानेनby/for the reason of (being in) Droṇa's position/command

हेतुनाas a cause, because

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

Karna

Arjuna (Śvetāśva)

Krishna (charioteer)

Drona

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?

Karna frames defeat or setback not as a moral or personal failing of a worthy opponent, but as a consequence of situational factors—here, Droṇa’s strategic placement. Ethically, it models fairness in judgment: do not hastily assign blame when circumstances and tactical constraints explain the outcome.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Drona Parva’s battle context, Karna comments on the famed warrior with white horses (Arjuna), driven by Krishna. Although Arjuna has been checked or outmaneuvered, Karna says he sees no fault in Arjuna; the decisive factor is Droṇa’s position within the battle arrangement.