Shloka 26

गदायुद्ध-समारम्भः

Commencement of the Mace-Duel Proceedings

Devanagari script

हतो वैकर्तन: कर्ण: पुत्राश्नास्य महारथा: । भूरिश्रवा रौहिणेय मद्रराजश्न वीर्यवान्‌

Transliteration

hato vaikartanaḥ karṇaḥ putrāś cāsya mahārathāḥ | bhūriśravā rauhiṇeyo madrarājaś ca vīryavān ||

Translation

Nārada said: “Karna, Vaikartana, has been slain, and his sons—mighty chariot-warriors as well. Bhūriśravas too has fallen, and Rauhiṇeya (Sātyaki), and the valiant king of Madra.”

Word by Word

• हतः: slain
• हतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन् (धातु) → हत (कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वैकर्तनः: Vaikartana (Karna, son of the cutter/Adhiratha’s wife’s act; epithet)
• वैकर्तनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैकर्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• पुत्राः: sons
• पुत्राः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अस्य: of him / his
• अस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम) → अस्य
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• महारथाः: great chariot-warriors
• महारथाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• भूरिश्रवाः: Bhurishravas
• भूरिश्रवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूरिश्रवस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• रौहिणेयः: Rauhiṇeya (Balarama)
• रौहिणेयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रौहिणेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मद्रराजः: king of Madra (Shalya)
• मद्रराजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद्रराज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• वीर्यवान्: mighty / possessed of valor
• वीर्यवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वीर्यवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Karṇa (Vaikartana)
• Karna's sons
• Bhūriśravas
• Rauhiṇeya (Sātyaki)
• Madrarāja (Śalya)
• Madra (kingdom)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the sweeping devastation of war: celebrated warriors and royal houses fall alike. It implicitly warns that martial glory is transient and that large-scale conflict, especially when driven by adharma and vengeance, culminates in irreversible loss.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada reports key deaths among major combatants: Karṇa and his sons, Bhūriśravas, Rauhiṇeya (Sātyaki), and the Madra king (Śalya). It functions as a grim tally of fallen heroes in the late stages of the Kurukṣetra war.