Shloka 21

Devanagari script

सदार्चितं चन्दनचूर्णशायितं सुवर्णतूणीरशयं महार्चिषम्‌ । आकर्णपूर्ण च विकृष्य कर्ण: पार्थोन्मुख: संदधे चोत्तमौजा:

Transliteration

sadārcitaṃ candanacūrṇaśāyitaṃ suvarṇatūṇīraśayaṃ mahārcīṣam | ākarṇapūrṇaṃ ca vikṛṣya karṇaḥ pārthonmukhaḥ saṃdadhe cottamaujāḥ ||

Translation

Dijo Sañjaya: Karṇa, siempre honrado y ungido con polvo de sándalo, recostado sobre un carcaj de oro y fulgurante de esplendor, tensó el arco hasta la oreja en un tiro pleno. Frente a Pārtha (Arjuna), fijó entonces la flecha, reuniendo su energía y resolución supremas para el acto decisivo.

Word by Word

सदाalways

अर्चितम्honoured, worshipped

चand

चन्दनचूर्णशायितम्laid/strewn with sandalwood powder

सुवर्णतूणीरशयम्having a golden quiver as its resting-place/support

महार्चिषम्of great splendour

आकर्णपूर्णम्drawn up to the ear (fully drawn)

चand

विकृष्यhaving drawn (back)

कर्णःKarna

पार्थोन्मुखःfacing Arjuna (son of Pritha)

संदधेplaced/fit (an arrow); fixed (on the bow)

चand

उत्तमौजाःof excellent vigour/energy

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

स

संजय (Sañjaya)

क

कर्ण (Karna)

प

पार्थ / अर्जुन (Pārtha/Arjuna)

च

चन्दनचूर्ण (sandalwood powder)

स

सुवर्णतूणीर (golden quiver)

ध

धनुस्/ज्या (bow/bowstring implied)

ब

बाण (arrow implied)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how honor, splendor, and disciplined skill culminate in decisive action during war; ethically, it reflects the hardening of a warrior’s resolve under chosen allegiance, where personal greatness is directed toward destructive ends within the accepted code of battle.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Karṇa preparing to shoot at Arjuna: he turns toward Pārtha, draws the bowstring fully to the ear, and sets the arrow—signaling an imminent, high-stakes exchange between the foremost champions.