Shloka 45

Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 19 — Saṃśaptaka–Trigarta Assault and Aindra-astra Counter

Devanagari script

ततः प्रजज्वाल परेण मन्युना पादाहतो नागपतिर्यथा तथा । समाददे चान्तकदण्डसंनिभा- निषूनमित्रार्तिकरां क्षतुर्दश,तब अअश्वत्थामा पैरोंसे ठुकराये हुए नागराजके समान शीघ्र ही अत्यन्त क्रोधसे जल उठा। फिर तो उसने यमदण्डके समान शत्रुओंको संताप देनेवाले चौदह बाण हाथमें लिये

Transliteration

tataḥ prajajvāla pareṇa manyunā pādāhato nāgapatir yathā tathā | samādade cāntakadaṇḍasaṁnibhān niśūnamitrārtikarān kṣaturdaśa ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Then, stung by a supreme fury—like the lord of serpents when struck by a foot—he blazed up at once. Thereupon he took up fourteen arrows, like the rod of Yama in their dread power, intent on tormenting and destroying the enemy host.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

प्रजज्वालblazed up

परेणwith intense/violent

मन्युनाanger, wrath

पादाहतःstruck by the foot

नागपतिःlord of serpents

यथाas, like

तथाso, likewise

समाददेtook up, seized

चand

अन्तकदण्डसंनिभाःresembling the rod of Death

निषूनमित्रार्तिकरान्causing distress to slain enemies (i.e., to enemies by slaying them)

क्षतुःof the archer (lit. 'one who wounds/slays')

दशten

चतुरःfour

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

स

संजय (Sañjaya)

न

नागपति (Nāgapati, as a simile)

अ

अन्तक / यम (Antaka/Yama, as a simile)

च

चतुर्दश बाण (fourteen arrows)

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 how humiliation or injury can rapidly inflame anger, and how anger in a battlefield context tends to translate immediately into destructive action. Ethically, it warns that unchecked wrath becomes a driver of cruelty, even when framed as martial retaliation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a warrior (contextually, Aśvatthāmā in the surrounding narration) flaring up in intense rage, compared to a Nāga-king struck by a foot, and then taking up fourteen deadly arrows likened to Yama’s rod, ready to inflict suffering on enemies.