Shloka 50

Devanagari script

तस्मादेनं राक्षसं घोररूप॑ शक्‍्त्या जहि त्वं दत्तया वासवेन । मा कौरवा: सर्व एवेन्द्रकल्पा रात्रियुद्धे कर्ण नेशु:ः सयोधा:,“इसलिये तुम इन्द्रकी दी हुई शक्तिसे इस घोर रूपधारी राक्षसको मार डालो। कर्ण! कहीं ऐसा न हो कि ये इन्द्रके समान पराक्रमी समस्त कौरव रात्रियुद्धमें अपने योद्धाओंके साथ नष्ट हो जाये

Transliteration

tasmād enaṃ rākṣasaṃ ghorarūpaṃ śaktyā jahi tvaṃ dattayā vāsavena | mā kauravāḥ sarva eva indrakalpā rātriyuddhe karṇa neśuḥ sayodhāḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “Therefore, strike down this fearsome, monstrous rākṣasa with the spear-weapon granted to you by Vāsava (Indra). O Karṇa, let it not come to pass that all the Kauravas—mighty as Indra—perish in the night-fighting, together with their warriors.”

Word by Word

• {'tasmāt': 'therefore

• for that reason', 'enam': 'this one

• him (accusative singular)', 'rākṣasam': 'a Rākṣasa

• a demonic/ogre-like being', 'ghorarūpam': 'of terrible, dreadful form', 'śaktyā': 'with the śakti

• a spear/javelin-like divine weapon', 'jahi': 'strike

• slay (imperative of √han)', 'tvam': 'you', 'dattayā': 'given

• bestowed (instrumental feminine singular, agreeing with śaktyā)', 'vāsavena': 'by Vāsava, i.e., Indra (instrumental singular)', 'mā': 'do not

• lest (prohibitive particle)', 'kauravāḥ': 'the Kauravas', 'sarva eva': 'all indeed

• all without exception', 'indrakalpāḥ': 'equal to Indra

• Indra-like in prowess', 'rātriyuddhe': 'in night-battle

• in fighting at night', 'karṇa': 'O Karṇa (vocative)', 'neśuḥ': 'may they not perish

• may they not be destroyed (aorist/benedictive sense)', 'sayodhāḥ': 'together with their warriors/fighters'}

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Karṇa
• Vāsava (Indra)
• Kauravas
• Rākṣasa
• Śakti (divine spear/weapon)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights wartime prudence and responsibility: when a grave threat endangers one’s entire side, a leader must act decisively and use even rare, divinely obtained resources to prevent wider destruction—especially amid the heightened chaos and moral peril of night-fighting.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya urges Karṇa to kill a terrifying Rākṣasa opponent by using the śakti weapon that Indra had granted him, warning that otherwise the Kaurava forces—despite their great valor—might be annihilated in the night battle along with their warriors.