Shloka 206

भीष्मपातने कर्णविलापः | Karṇa’s Lament upon Seeing Bhīṣma Fallen

Devanagari script

शब्दं सोढुं न शक्ष्यन्ति त्वामृते वीर पार्थिवा: | “वीर! शत्रुसूदन कपिध्वज अर्जुनके उड़ते हुए रथकी घरघराहटको आपके सिवा दूसरे राजा नहीं सह सकेंगे

Transliteration

śabdaṃ soḍhuṃ na śakṣyanti tvāmṛte vīra pārthivāḥ |

Translation

Sañjaya said: “O hero, apart from you the other kings will not be able to endure that sound.”

Word by Word

• शब्दम्: sound, noise
• शब्दम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शब्द
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सोढुम्: to endure, to bear
• Type: Verb
• Root: सह्
• Form: Tumun (infinitive), Parasmaipada (usage), to endure

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• शक्ष्यन्ति: will be able
• Type: Verb
• Root: शक्
• Form: Lṛṭ (Simple Future), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• त्वाम्: you
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Accusative, Singular

• ऋते: except, without
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ऋते
• Form: Accusative

• वीर: O hero
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• पार्थिवाः: kings, rulers
• पार्थिवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• kings (pārthivāḥ)
• Arjuna (implied by the cited Hindi gloss: Kapidhvaja, Śatrusūdana)
• Kapidhvaja (Arjuna’s banner, implied)
• Arjuna’s chariot (implied)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical and psychological dimension of warfare: true heroism is not merely physical strength but the capacity to remain steady under overwhelming fear and intimidation. It implies that righteous prowess (as embodied by Arjuna’s presence and martial force) can uphold morale for one side while breaking it for the other.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya, narrating events to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, remarks that the other kings will be unable to withstand a particular terrifying sound—understood in context as the formidable din associated with Arjuna’s war-chariot and martial advance—except for the addressed hero.