Shloka 666

Adhyāya 141 — Night duels: Śaineya and Bhūriśravas; Droṇi and Ghaṭotkaca; Bhīma and Duryodhana

Devanagari script

आपतत्तीं महोल्काभां चिच्छेद दशभि: शरै: । कर्ण कुछ थक-सा गया था, तो भी उसने बहुत बड़ी उल्काके समान अपनी ओर आती हुई उस सुवर्णभूषित शक्तिको दस बाणोंसे काट दिया

Transliteration

āpatattīṁ maholkābhāṁ ciccheda daśabhiḥ śaraiḥ |

Translation

Sañjaya dit : «Quand cette arme puissante, flamboyante comme un grand météore, fondit sur lui, Karṇa—bien qu’on le vît épuisé—se raffermit et, de dix flèches, la trancha en plein vol.»

Word by Word

आपतन्तीम्falling/coming down (towards him)

महोत्काभाम्having the splendor of a great meteor

चिच्छेदcut asunder

दशभिःwith ten

शरैःwith arrows

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Karṇa

śara (arrows)

maholkā (great meteor-like blaze)

śakti (spear/missile weapon; implied by context)

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?

In the war-ethic of the Mahābhārata, a kṣatriya must meet danger with steadiness and competence; fatigue is real, yet duty demands alertness and disciplined action when violence is already in motion.

What is happening in the narrative?

A powerful, meteor-like weapon (described as a great blazing projectile) rushes toward Karṇa. Despite being tired, he intercepts it and cuts it apart with ten arrows, preventing it from striking him.