Shloka 24

Devanagari script

ततोअस्याश्वाञ्छरैस्ती&णैर्बी भत्सुर्भारसा धनै: । आकर्णममुक्तैरवधीत्‌ ते हता: प्रापतन्‌ भुवि,तत्पश्चात्‌ बीभत्सुने भार (शत्रुओंके आघात) सहनेमें समर्थ तीखे बाणोंद्वारा, जो धनुषको कानतक खींचकर छोड़े गये थे, कर्णके घोड़ोंको घायल कर दिया। वे घोड़े मरकर पृथ्वीपर गिर पड़े

Transliteration

tato ’syāśvān śarais tīkṣṇair bībhatsur bhārasā dhanaiḥ | ākarṇamuktair avadhīt te hatāḥ prāpatan bhuvi ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Then Bībhatsu (Arjuna), drawing his bow to the ear and releasing keen, heavy shafts, struck down Karṇa’s horses. Slain, they fell upon the earth.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

अस्यof him (i.e., of Karna)

अश्वान्horses

शरैःwith arrows

तीक्ष्णैःsharp

बीभत्सुःBhībhatsu (Arjuna)

भारसहैःable to bear the impact/weight (i.e., forceful)

धनैःwith bows

आकर्णम्up to the ear (fully drawn)

अमुक्तैःunreleased / (here) released (text likely intended मुक्तैः)

अवधीत्he struck down / killed

तेthey (those horses)

हताःkilled

प्रापतन्fell down

भुविon the ground

तत्that (then/thereupon)

पश्चात्afterwards

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Bībhatsu (Arjuna)

Karṇa

horses

arrows

bow

earth (bhūmi)

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 highlights the decisive power of disciplined skill and resolve in warfare, while implicitly pointing to the moral cost of battle: even when framed as kṣatriya-duty, violence results in the destruction of life and sudden reversals of fortune.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna (called Bībhatsu) shoots sharp, heavy arrows at full draw and kills Karṇa’s horses; the horses collapse dead to the ground, weakening Karṇa’s chariot-mobility and shifting the tactical situation.