Shloka 25

कर्णार्जुनसमागमः — The Karṇa–Arjuna Confrontation

Cosmic Spectatorship and Vows

Devanagari script

विदार्य तज्जालमथेन्द्रमुक्तं पार्थस्ततो द्रौणिरथं क्षणेन । प्रच्छादयामास ततो<भ्युपेत्य द्रौणिस्तदा पार्थशराभिभूत:

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

vidārya taj-jālam athendramuktaṃ pārthas tato drauṇirathaṃ kṣaṇena |

pracchādayām āsa tato 'bhyupetya drauṇis tadā pārthaśarābhibhūtaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya dijo: Tras desgarrar aquella red de flechas soltada por el arma de Indra, Pārtha se acercó y, en un instante, cubrió el carro de Aśvatthāman, hijo de Droṇa, con sus propios dardos. En ese momento, el hijo de Droṇa quedó abrumado, oprimido por las flechas de Arjuna.

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'vidārya', 'definition': 'having split, having torn asunder'}, {'term': 'jāla', 'definition': 'net

• here: a dense ‘net’/shower of arrows'}, {'term': 'indra-mukta', 'definition': 'released by Indra

• i.e., discharged through the Indra-weapon (a divine missile)'}, {'term': 'pārtha', 'definition': 'son of Pṛthā

• Arjuna'}, {'term': 'drauṇi', 'definition': 'son of Droṇa

• Aśvatthāmā'}, {'term': 'ratha', 'definition': 'chariot'}, {'term': 'kṣaṇena', 'definition': 'in a moment, instantly'}, {'term': 'abhyupetya', 'definition': 'approaching, closing in'}, {'term': 'pracchādayām āsa', 'definition': 'he covered/blanketed (with arrows), obscured from view'}, {'term': 'śara', 'definition': 'arrow'}, {'term': 'abhibhūtaḥ', 'definition': 'overpowered, overwhelmed'}]

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Arjuna (Pārtha)
• Aśvatthāmā (Drauṇi)
• Indra-weapon (Indrāstra)
• arrow-net (jāla of śaras)
• chariot (ratha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even when divine weapons are deployed, victory in dharmic battle hinges on composure, mastery, and timely action; Arjuna’s disciplined skill counters a formidable astra without losing strategic clarity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Aśvatthāmā releases an Indra-weapon producing a dense barrage of arrows; Arjuna splits that arrow-net, swiftly closes the distance, and blankets Aśvatthāmā’s chariot with his own arrows, leaving him momentarily overpowered.