Mahabharata 11.21.12 — Stree Parva, Adhyaya 21, Shloka 12

अध्याय २१ — गान्धार्या वैकर्तनदर्शनम्

Gāndhārī’s Viewing of Vaikartana/Karṇa

Devanagari script

'प्राणनाथ! निश्चय ही तुमपर आचार्यका दिया हुआ शाप लागू हो गया, जिससे इस पृथ्वीने तुम्हारे रथके पहियेको ग्रस लिया, तभी युद्धमें शोभा पानेवाले अर्जुनने रणभूमिमें अपने बाणसे तुम्हारा सिर काट लिया” ।।

Transliteration

prāṇanātha! niścaya hi tumapar ācāryakā diyā huā śāpa lāgū ho gayā, jisase is pṛthvīne tumhāre rathake pahiyeko grasa liyā, tabhī yuddhameṃ śobhā pānevāle arjunane raṇabhūmimeṃ apane bāṇase tumhārā śira kāṭ liyā. hā hā dhig eṣā patitā visaṃjñā samīkṣya jāmbūnadabaddhakakṣam karṇa mahābāhum adīnasattvaṃ suṣeṇamātā rudatī bhṛśārtā, hāya! hāya! mujhe dhikkār hai. suvarṇa-kavacadhārī udār hṛdaya mahābāhu karṇako is avasthāmeṃ dekhakar atyanta ātura ho rotī huī suṣeṇakī mātā mūrcchita hokar gir paṛī.

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dijo: «¡Oh señor de mi vida! Sin duda se ha cumplido en ti la maldición pronunciada por el maestro: la tierra apresó la rueda de tu carro, y entonces Arjuna—glorioso en la batalla—cortó tu cabeza en el campo con su flecha.» Al ver a Karṇa, el héroe de grandes brazos y ánimo indómito, ceñida la cintura con ornamentos de oro, la madre de Suṣeṇa clamó con dolor lacerante: «¡Ay, ay—vergüenza para mí!» Y, vencida por la pena, cayó al suelo sin sentido.

Word by Word

• हाहा: alas! alas!
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हा (विस्मय/शोक-उद्गार)

• धिक्: shame! fie!
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: धिक् (निन्दा-उद्गार)

• एषा: this (woman)
• एषा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• पतिता: fallen
• पतिता: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पतित (√पत्)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• विसंज्ञा: unconscious, senseless
• विसंज्ञा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विसंज्ञ (वि + संज्ञा)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• समीक्ष्य: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + √ईक्ष्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada/Atmanepada-neutral (gerund)

• जाम्बूनद: gold (jāmbūnada)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाम्बूनद
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (as compound member), Singular

• बद्ध: bound, fastened
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बद्ध (√बन्ध्)
• Form: Neuter (as compound member), Nominative/Accusative (as compound member), Singular

• कक्षम्: armour/strap at the side; (here) cuirass/armour arrangement
• कक्षम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• जाम्बूनदबद्धकक्षम्: whose armour/side-straps are fastened with gold
• जाम्बूनदबद्धकक्षम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जाम्बूनद-बद्ध-कक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कर्णम्: Karna
• कर्णम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• महा: great
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (महा-)
• Form: Masculine (as compound member), Accusative (as compound member), Singular

• बाहुम्: arm
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाहु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• महाबाहुम्: the mighty-armed (one)
• महाबाहुम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा-बाहु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अदीन: undaunted, not dejected
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अदीन (a- + दीन)
• Form: Neuter (as compound member), Nominative/Accusative (as compound member), Singular

• सत्त्वम्: spirit, courage, strength of character
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्त्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अदीनसत्त्वम्: of undaunted spirit
• अदीनसत्त्वम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अदीन-सत्त्व
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सुषेण: of Suṣeṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुषेण
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• माता: mother
• माता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• सुषेणमाता: Suṣeṇa’s mother
• सुषेणमाता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुषेण-मातृ
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• रुदती: weeping
• रुदती: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: रुदत् (√रुद्)
• Form: Present active participle, Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• भृशम्: exceedingly, greatly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भृश

• आर्ता: distressed, afflicted
• आर्ता: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आर्त (√ऋ / आर्त = पीडित)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Karṇa
• Arjuna
• Ācārya (teacher, source of the curse)
• Suṣeṇa
• Suṣeṇa’s mother
• Earth (Pṛthvī)
• Chariot (ratha)
• Chariot wheel (cakra/pahiya)
• Arrow (bāṇa)
• Battlefield (raṇabhūmi)
• Golden armor/ornaments (jāmbūnada, suvarṇa-kavaca)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the convergence of destiny (a curse ripening at the decisive instant) and human action in war, and it foregrounds the ethical aftermath: the true cost of victory is measured in irreversible loss and the grief borne by families, especially mothers.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana recounts that Karṇa’s chariot wheel was seized by the earth due to a teacher’s curse, leaving him vulnerable; Arjuna then struck and severed his head. Immediately after, Suṣeṇa’s mother sees Karṇa’s fallen body, cries out in anguish, and faints.