Shloka 39

Devanagari script

शिरश्छेत्स्यामि कर्णस्य मिषतां सर्वधन्विनाम्‌ “मधुसूदन! आज संग्राममें समस्त धनुर्धरोंके देखते-देखते मैं राधापुत्र कर्णका मस्तक काट डालूँगा ।। अद्य ती#णैविंपाठैश्न क्षुरैश्ष मधुसूदन

Transliteration

śiraś chetsyāmi karṇasya miṣatāṁ sarva-dhanvinām | madhusūdana! adya saṅgrāme samasta-dhanurdharāṇāṁ dekhate-dekhate ahaṁ rādhāputra-karṇasya mastakaṁ kāṭaṁ dāsyāmi ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “Madhusūdana! Today, in the midst of battle, before the very eyes of all the bowmen, I shall sever Karṇa’s head—the son of Rādhā.”

Word by Word

शिरःhead

छेत्स्यामिI shall cut off

कर्णस्यof Karna

मिषताम्while (they) are looking; in the presence of

सर्वधन्विनाम्of all archers

मधुसूदनO Madhusudana (Krishna)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Madhusūdana (Kṛṣṇa)

Karṇa

Rādhā

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 the psychology of war: a warrior’s public vow of decisive action is used to project certainty and intimidate opponents. Ethically, it reflects the Mahābhārata’s tension between kṣatriya duty (victory through force) and the tragic cost of violence, where resolve and righteousness are not always aligned.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports a combatant’s fierce declaration addressed to Kṛṣṇa (Madhusūdana): in the ongoing battle, the speaker claims he will cut off Karṇa’s head in full view of all archers—an announcement meant to signal imminent, climactic confrontation.