Shloka 43

Devanagari script

निर्मयदि विद्रवे घोररूपे सर्वा दिश: प्रेक्षमाणा: सम शून्या: । तां शस्त्रवृष्टिमुरसा गाहमानं कर्ण स्मैकं तत्र राजन्नपश्यन्‌

Transliteration

nirmadayi vidrave ghorarūpe sarvā diśaḥ prekṣamāṇāḥ samaśūnyāḥ | tāṃ śastravṛṣṭimurasā gāhamānaṃ karṇaṃ smaikaṃ tatra rājann apaśyan |

Translation

Sañjaya said: In that dreadful rout, as men looked about, all the directions seemed equally empty. Yet there, O King, they saw Karṇa alone—pressing forward with his chest bared, plunging into that rain of weapons, unshaken amid the storm of battle.

Word by Word

निर्मदिin (a state of) madnesslessness / in frenzylessness (contextually: in confusion/uproar)

विद्रवेin the rout/flight

घोररूपेof dreadful form

सर्वाःall

दिशःdirections/quarters

प्रेक्षमाणाःlooking on / beholding

समम्equally/altogether

शून्याःempty/void

ताम्that (her/it)

शस्त्रवृष्टिम्shower of weapons

उरसाwith (his) chest/breast

गाहमानम्plunging into / entering

कर्णम्Karna

स्मindeed/then (particle, past narration)

एकम्alone/single

तत्रthere

राजन्O king

अपश्यन्they saw

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Karṇa

śastravṛṣṭi (rain of weapons)

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 steadfast courage and the kṣatriya ideal of facing danger directly: even when others scatter in fear, a warrior’s resolve is shown by standing firm and advancing without turning away.

What is happening in the narrative?

During a terrifying rout, the battlefield seems emptied in every direction as fighters flee or disperse. Amid the weapon-storm, Karṇa alone is seen driving forward, meeting the attack head-on.