Shloka 67

Devanagari script

अतीव पार्थो युधि कार्मुकिभ्यो नारायणश्षाप्रति चक्रयुद्धे । एवंविधौ पाण्डववासुदेवौ चलेत्‌ स्वदेशाद्धिमवान्‌ न कृष्णौ

Transliteration

atīva pārtho yudhi kārmukibhyo nārāyaṇaḥ śāprati cakrayuddhe | evaṃvidhau pāṇḍavavāsudevau calet svadeśāddhimavān na kṛṣṇau ||

Translation

Karna said: “In battle, Pārtha (Arjuna) is exceedingly superior to all archers, and Nārāyaṇa (Kṛṣṇa) is unmatched in combat with the discus. Such are the Pāṇḍava and Vāsudeva: just as the Himālaya does not shift from its own land, so these two do not waver.”

Word by Word

• अतीव: exceedingly, very much
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतीव

• पार्थः: Arjuna (son of Pṛthā)
• पार्थः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• युधि: in battle
• युधि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युध्
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• कार्मुकिभ्यः: from the bowmen/archers
• कार्मुकिभ्यः: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्मुकिन्
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Plural

• नारायणः: Nārāyaṇa (Kṛṣṇa)
• नारायणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शापात्: from/owing to a curse
• शापात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाप
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• प्रति: against, in return, towards
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति

• चक्रयुद्धे: in the discus-fight (fight with the cakra)
• चक्रयुद्धे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्रयुद्ध
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• एवंविधौ: in such a situation/of such a kind
• एवंविधौ: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एवंविध
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• पाण्डववासुदेवौ: the two: Pāṇḍava (Arjuna) and Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)
• पाण्डववासुदेवौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव-वासुदेव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• चलेत्: would move, could depart
• Type: Verb
• Root: चल्
• Form: Vidhi-ling (Optative), Present-system, 3rd, Singular

• स्वदेशात्: from (his/their) own land
• स्वदेशात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वदेश
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• हिमवान्: Himavān (the Himalaya mountain)
• हिमवान्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिमवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• कृष्णौ: the two Kṛṣṇas (Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna as ‘Kṛṣṇa’/dark one)
• कृष्णौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Karna
• Arjuna (Pārtha)
• Kṛṣṇa (Nārāyaṇa, Vāsudeva)
• Himālaya (Himavān)
• bow (kārmuka)
• discus (cakra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights steadfast excellence: Arjuna’s unsurpassed mastery among archers and Kṛṣṇa’s unmatched divine prowess with the discus. Their firmness is compared to the immovability of the Himālaya, suggesting that true strength includes unwavering resolve and dependable alliance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna, speaking amid the pressures of the Kurukṣetra war, acknowledges the extraordinary capabilities of his opponents—Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa. By praising their superiority and steadiness, he frames them as nearly unassailable forces in battle.