Shloka 16

Devanagari script

ततो गाण्डीवधन्वानमब्रवीन्मधुसूदन:

Transliteration

tato gāṇḍīvadhanvānam abravīn madhusūdanaḥ | prayāhi śīghraṁ govinda sūtaputrajighāṁsayā ||

Translation

Sañjaya dijo: «Entonces Madhusūdana (Kṛṣṇa) se dirigió al portador del Gāṇḍīva (Arjuna): “Ve deprisa, oh Govinda, impulsado por la resolución de matar al hijo del auriga”.»

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• गाण्डीव-धन्वानम्: the wielder of the Gāṇḍīva (Arjuna)
• गाण्डीव-धन्वानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गाण्डीवधन्वन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अब्रवीत्: said, spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: Imperfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मधुसूदनः: Madhusūdana (Kṛṣṇa)
• मधुसूदनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधुसूदन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रयाहि: go forth, depart
• Type: Verb
• Root: या
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• शीघ्रम्: quickly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शीघ्र

• गोविन्द: O Govinda
• गोविन्द: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोविन्द
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• सूत-पुत्र-जिघांसया: with the desire to slay the charioteer’s son (Karna)
• सूत-पुत्र-जिघांसया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूतपुत्रजिघांसा
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Madhusūdana (Kṛṣṇa)
• Govinda (Kṛṣṇa)
• Gāṇḍīva-dhanvān (Arjuna)
• Sūtaputra (Karna)
• Gāṇḍīva (bow)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights decisive action under dharma’s pressure: Kṛṣṇa urges swift execution of a necessary wartime objective. It reflects the Mahābhārata’s tension between compassion and duty—where delay can endanger one’s side and undermine righteous strategy.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Kṛṣṇa (Madhusūdana/Govinda) speaks to Arjuna (the Gāṇḍīva-bearer), urging him to move quickly with the intent to kill Karna (called sūtaputra). It is a moment of urgent mobilization and tactical resolve in the Karṇa Parva battle sequence.