Mahabharata 11.21.2 — Stree Parva, Adhyaya 21, Shloka 2

अध्याय २१ — गान्धार्या वैकर्तनदर्शनम्

Gāndhārī’s Viewing of Vaikartana/Karṇa

Devanagari script

गान्धारी बोलीं--श्रीकृष्ण! देखो, यह महाधनुर्धर महारथी वैकर्तन कर्ण कुन्तीकुमार अर्जुनके तेजसे बुझी हुई प्रजवलित आगके समान युद्धस्थलमें शान्त होकर सो रहा है ।।

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

paśya vaikartanaṃ karṇaṃ nihatya atirathān bahūn |

śoṇitaughaparītāṅgaṃ śayānaṃ patitaṃ bhuvi, mādhava ||

Translation

Gāndhārī said: “O Mādhava, behold Vaikartana Karṇa. Having slain many mighty chariot-warriors, he now lies fallen upon the earth, his body engulfed by torrents of blood—stilled at last after the blaze of battle.”

Word by Word

• पश्य: see! / behold!
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश्
• Form: लोट्, मध्यम, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• वैकर्तनम्: Vaikartana (Karna)
• वैकर्तनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैकर्तन
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कर्णम्: Karna
• कर्णम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• निहत्य: having slain
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-हन्
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्यय), कर्तरि

• अतिरथान्: great chariot-warriors
• अतिरथान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिरथ
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• बहून्: many
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• शोणितौघपरीताङ्गम्: whose body is surrounded/covered by a flood of blood
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शोणितौघपरीताङ्ग
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• शयानम्: lying
• Type: Verb
• Root: शी
• Form: शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पतितम्: fallen
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत्
• Form: क्त (भूतकृदन्त), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• भुवि: on the ground/earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• माधव: O Madhava (Krishna)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माधव
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Kṛṣṇa (Mādhava)
• Karṇa (Vaikartana)
• Atirathas (great chariot-warriors)
• Earth (bhūmi)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the ethical gravity and tragic finality of war: even the greatest warrior, after immense slaughter, ends in stillness and blood on the earth. It invites reflection on impermanence and the human cost behind martial glory.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates a moment where Kṛṣṇa (addressed as Mādhava) is asked to look upon Karṇa (Vaikartana), who—after killing many elite warriors—now lies fallen on the battlefield, covered in blood.