Shloka 36

धर्मरहस्योपदेशः

Dharma-rahasya Instruction: Vows, Truth, and Non-injury

Devanagari script

प्रजानाथ! महाराज! कर्ण और भीमसेनके उस युद्धमें बड़ी भयंकर, भीषण और घोर मार-काट हुई ।।

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | tato muhūrtād rājendra pāṇḍavaḥ karṇam ādravat | samāpatattaṃ samprekṣya karṇo vaikartano vṛṣaḥ |

Translation

Sañjaya said: “Then, after a brief while, O lord of kings, the Pāṇḍava rushed at Karṇa. Seeing him charging in, Karṇa Vaikartana—the bull among men—met him head-on.”

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• मुहूर्तात्: after a short time (from a muhurta)
• मुहूर्तात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुहूर्त
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजेन्द्र
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

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

• कर्णम्: Karna
• कर्णम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आद्रवत्: ran towards, charged
• Type: Verb
• Root: द्रु
• Form: Imperfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• समापतत्तम्: one who had rushed/charged (towards him)
• Type: Kridanta
• Root: सम्-आपत्
• Form: Past active participle (kta-like usage as adjective), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सम्प्रेक्ष्य: having seen, observing
• Type: Kridanta
• Root: सम्-प्रेक्ष्
• Form: Absolutive (ktvā/lyap), Active

• कर्णः: Karna
• कर्णः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वैकर्तनः: Vaikartana (son of the cutter/Adhiratha lineage epithet of Karna)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैकर्तन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वृषः: bull (best of men)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Pāṇḍava (Bhīma implied by context)
• Karna
• Vaikartana (epithet of Karṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in its stark form: when challenged in battle, a warrior must meet the attacker directly, with steadiness and resolve. It also frames heroism ethically through epithets like “vṛṣaḥ” (foremost), suggesting excellence is measured by courage and readiness to face danger.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that a Pāṇḍava (contextually Bhīma) charges at Karṇa. Karṇa, seeing the oncoming assault, confronts him immediately—setting the stage for a fierce exchange.