Shloka 87

Devanagari script

विभिन्नगात्र: क्षतजोक्षिताड़: कर्णो बभौ रुद्र इवाततेषु: । प्रक्रीडमानो5थ श्मशानमध्ये रौद्रे मुहुर्ते रुधिरा्द्रगात्र:,अर्जुनके धनुषसे वेगपूर्वक छूटे हुए भयंकर वेगशाली बाणोंद्वारा गहरी चोट खाकर कर्णके सारे अंग विदीर्ण हो गये। वह खूनसे नहा उठा और रौद्र मुहूर्तमें श्मशानके भीतर क्रीड़ा करते हुए, बाणोंसे व्याप्त एवं रक्तसे भीगे शरीरवाले रुद्रदेवके समान प्रतीत होने लगा

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | vibhinnagātraḥ kṣatajokṣitāṅgaḥ karṇo babhau rudra ivātateṣu | prakrīḍamāno ’tha śmaśānamadhye raudre muhūrte rudhirārdragātraḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Karṇa, his limbs torn asunder and his body drenched with blood from his wounds, shone forth like Rudra amid the tumult of battle. Sporting, as it were, in the midst of a cremation-ground at the dread ‘Raudra’ moment, his body soaked in gore and surrounded by arrows, he appeared like the fierce Lord himself—an image of terrifying valor under the crushing force of Arjuna’s shafts.

Word by Word

विभिन्नगात्रःwhose limbs are torn asunder

क्षतजोक्षिताङ्गःwhose body is drenched with blood

कर्णःKarna

बभौshone / appeared

रुद्रःRudra

इवlike, as

आततेषुwhen/among (weapons) stretched out, extended

प्रक्रीडमानःsporting, playing about

अथthen, and then

श्मशानमध्येin the midst of the cremation-ground

रौद्रेin the fierce (time)

मुहूर्तेat the muhurta (moment/period)

रुधिरार्द्रगात्रःwhose limbs are wet with blood

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Karna

Rudra (Śiva)

śmaśāna (cremation-ground)

muhūrta (Raudra muhūrta)

arrows (bāṇa)

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 underscores the grim ethic of kṣatriya warfare: even when grievously wounded, a warrior is expected to stand firm. By likening Karṇa to Rudra in a cremation-ground, the text highlights how battle becomes a realm of death where valor and destruction coexist, reminding the listener of the terrible cost of dharma pursued through war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates that Karṇa has been struck hard by Arjuna’s swift, fearsome arrows. His body is torn and soaked in blood, yet he appears terrifyingly radiant—compared to Rudra roaming a cremation-ground at a fierce moment—suggesting both Karṇa’s endurance and the dreadful intensity of the duel.