Shloka 24

कर्णभीमसमागमः | Karṇa–Bhīma Encounter

Devanagari script

तव बाहुबलं प्राप्य न शेकुः सर्वसात्वता:

Transliteration

tava bāhubalaṃ prāpya na śekuḥ sarvasāttvatāḥ

Translation

Sañjaya said: Even after attaining the support of your mighty arms—your martial strength—the warriors of every class could not prevail.

Word by Word

• तव: of you/your
• तव: सम्बन्ध
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: त्वद्
• Form: —, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• बाहुबलम्: arm-strength, might of arms
• बाहुबलम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाहुबल
• Form: नपुंसक, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्राप्य: having obtained/attained
• प्राप्य: पूर्वकाल (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप्
• Form: ल्यप् (क्त्वान्त/absolutive), कर्तरि, —

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

• शेकुः: they were able/could
• Type: Verb
• Root: शक्
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथम, बहुवचन

• सर्वसात्वताः: all the Sātvatas (Vrishni heroes)
• सर्वसात्वताः: कर्ता
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वसात्वत
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied addressee by context of Sañjaya’s narration)
• Sāttvatas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the limits of collective strength when confronted by extraordinary individual prowess, inviting reflection on how power can dominate outcomes in war and how dharma must still guide the use of such power.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to the king that, despite gaining the advantage of the addressee’s martial support, the opposing warriors (described as Sāttvatas/valiant fighters) were still unable to succeed, emphasizing the decisive impact of a powerful combatant in the battle.