Shloka 23

Adhyāya 8: Saṃprahāra-varṇana and Bhīma–Kṣemadhūrti Dvipa-Yuddha

Combat Description and Elephant Duel

Devanagari script

वृषो महेन्द्रो देवेषु वृष: कर्णो नरेष्वपि

Transliteration

vṛṣo mahendro deveṣu vṛṣaḥ karṇo nareṣv api

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “Among the gods, Mahendra (Indra) is the mighty bull; and among men too, Karṇa is a bull-like champion.”

Word by Word

• वृषः: a bull; the best/foremost
• वृषः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महेन्द्रः: Mahendra (Indra, the great lord)
• महेन्द्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेन्द्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• देवेषु: among the gods
• देवेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• वृषः: a bull; the best/foremost
• वृषः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• नरेषु: among men
• नरेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• अपि: also; even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Mahendra (Indra)
• Karṇa
• devas (gods)
• naras (men)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse uses the metaphor of the ‘bull’ to mark the foremost in a community: Indra among gods and Karṇa among men. It highlights the epic ideal that excellence and steadfast power earn renown, while also inviting reflection on how such prowess is to be guided by dharma in the context of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana, narrating the events of the Karṇa Parva, offers a laudatory comparison: just as Indra is preeminent among the gods, Karṇa is presented as preeminent among human warriors—underscoring Karṇa’s stature at this stage of the battle narrative.