Shloka 40

कर्णपर्व — पञ्चदशोऽध्यायः | Karṇa Parva, Chapter 15: Pāṇḍya’s Advance and Aśvatthāmā’s Counterstroke

Devanagari script

ततः संशप्तकान्‌ भूय: साश्वसूतरथद्विपान्‌ | ध्वजपत्तिगणानुग्रैर्बाणैविव्याध पाण्डव:

Transliteration

tataḥ saṁśaptakān bhūyaḥ sāśvasūtarathadvipān | dhvajapattigaṇān ugrair bāṇair vivyādha pāṇḍavaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Then the Pāṇḍava (Arjuna) once again pierced the Saṁśaptaka warriors—together with their horses, charioteers, chariots, elephants, and masses of foot-soldiers bearing banners—by means of his fierce arrows.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात् अव्यय)

• संशप्तकान्: the Saṁśaptakas (a troop-name)
• संशप्तकान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशप्तक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• भूयः: again, once more
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस् (अव्यय)

• स: together with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स (सम्-उपसर्गार्थे सह-अर्थकः अव्ययः)

• अश्व: horses
• अश्व: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• सूत: charioteers
• सूत: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• रथ: chariots
• रथ: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• द्विपान्: elephants
• द्विपान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विप
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• ध्वज: banners/standards
• ध्वज: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वज
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• पत्ति: foot-soldiers
• पत्ति: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्ति
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• गणान्: groups, troops
• गणान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• उग्रैः: fierce, terrible
• उग्रैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उग्र
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• बाणैः: with arrows
• बाणैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• विव्याध: pierced, struck through
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्यध् (विध्/व्यध्) धातु
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पाण्डवः: the Pāṇḍava (Arjuna)
• पाण्डवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Arjuna (Pāṇḍava)
• Saṁśaptakas
• horses
• charioteers (sūtas)
• chariots
• elephants
• foot-soldiers (patti-gaṇa)
• banners/standards (dhvajas)
• arrows (bāṇas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights steadfast performance of one’s ordained duty (kṣatriya-dharma) in a justly undertaken war: Arjuna acts with focused resolve against vowed enemy combatants, illustrating disciplined courage rather than personal cruelty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates that Arjuna again attacks the Saṁśaptaka contingent, striking through their combined battle formation—horses, charioteers, chariots, elephants, foot-soldiers, and banner-bearers—using powerful volleys of arrows.