Shloka 29

Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 54 — Missile-Exchange and Tactical Redirection

Arjuna, Aśvatthāman, Karṇa

Devanagari script

स चापि पार्थ बहुभि: पृषत्कै- वैंकर्तनो मेघ इवाभ्यवर्षत्‌ । तथैव कर्ण च किरीटमाली संछादयामास शितै: पृषत्कैः

Transliteration

sa cāpi pārtha bahubhiḥ pṛṣatkaiḥ vaikarṇano megha ivābhyavarṣat | tathaiva karṇaṃ ca kirīṭamālī saṃchādayāmāsa śitaiḥ pṛṣatkaiḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dijo: Vaikarṇana (Karna) también acribilló a Pārtha (Arjuna) con muchas flechas, como una nube que derrama lluvia. Del mismo modo, el héroe de la diadema (Arjuna) cubrió a Karna con agudos dardos.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अपि: also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• पार्थ: O Partha (Arjuna)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• बहुभिः: with many
• बहुभिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• पृषत्कैः: with arrows
• पृषत्कैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृषत्क
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• वैकर्तनः: Vaikartana (Karna)
• वैकर्तनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैकर्तन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मेघः: a cloud
• मेघः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेघ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: like, as if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• अभ्यवर्षत्: rained upon, showered
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृष्
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada, Active

• तथा: thus, in that manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• कर्ण: O Karna
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• किरीटमाली: the diadem-wearer (Arjuna)
• किरीटमाली: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: किरीटमालिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• संछादयामास: covered, concealed
• Type: Verb
• Root: छाद्
• Form: Perfect (Periphrastic Perfect), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada, Active

• शितैः: with sharp
• शितैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शित
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• पृषत्कैः: with arrows
• पृषत्कैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृषत्क
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Arjuna (Pārtha, Kirīṭamālī)
• Karna (Vaikarṇana)
• arrows (pṛṣatka)
• cloud (megha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the kṣatriya ethic of steadfastness and equal response in righteous combat: a warrior neither collapses under attack nor fights with cowardice, but meets force with disciplined courage, maintaining honor amid violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna showers Arjuna with a dense volley of arrows, compared to a rain-cloud. Arjuna, identified as the diadem-wearer, answers in kind by covering Karna with sharp arrows, depicting an intense, evenly matched exchange.