Shloka 3

कर्णवधप्रसङ्गः / The Context of Karṇa’s Fall

Krishna’s Dharmic Recollection and the Decisive Astra

Devanagari script

दृष्टवा रथं मेघरवं ममैव समस्तसेना च रणे< भ्यतिष्ठत्‌ । तेषामहं पठ्च शतानि हत्वा ततो द्रौणिमगमं पार्थिवाग्रय

Transliteration

Arjuna uvāca: dṛṣṭvā rathaṁ megharavaṁ mamaiva samastasenā ca raṇe 'bhyatiṣṭhat | teṣām ahaṁ pañcaśatāni hatvā tato drauṇim agamaṁ pārthivāgrya bhūpālaśiromaṇe ||

Translation

Arjuna said: Seeing my chariot—thundering like a rain-cloud—the entire Kaurava host stood firm in battle. Then, after slaying five hundred of their warriors, I advanced to attack Droṇa’s son. O foremost of kings, crest-jewel among rulers!

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), परस्मैपद-भाव, पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• रथम्: chariot
• रथम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• मेघ-रवम्: thunder-like in sound
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मेघरव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• मम: of me / my
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• एव: indeed / just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• समस्त-सेना: the entire army
• समस्त-सेना: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: समस्तसेना
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• अभ्यतिष्ठत्: stood firm / took position
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada, अभि

• तेषाम्: of them
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Plural

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Nominative, Singular

• पञ्च: five
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पञ्च

• शतानि: hundreds
• शतानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• हत्वा: having slain
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), परस्मैपद-भाव, पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

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

• द्रौणिम्: Drauni (son of Drona, Ashvatthaman)
• द्रौणिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रौणि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अगमम्: I went / I advanced
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada, आ

• पार्थिव-अग्र्य: O best of kings
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिवाग्र्य
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• भूपाल-शिरोमणे: O crest-jewel among kings
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूपालशिरोमणि
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• Aśvatthāman (Drauṇi, son of Droṇa)
• Kaurava army
• Arjuna’s chariot

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the kṣatriya ethic of steadfastness and initiative in battle: when confronted by a massed enemy, Arjuna does not retreat but acts decisively, moving from general engagement to a focused confrontation with a principal opponent.

What is happening in the narrative?

The Kaurava forces, seeing Arjuna’s cloud-roaring chariot, form up to fight. Arjuna cuts down five hundred warriors from that host and then advances to engage Droṇa’s son, Aśvatthāman.