Shloka 14

Devanagari script

गदया भीमसेनस्तु कर्णस्य रथकूबरम्‌

Transliteration

gadayā bhīmasenas tu karṇasya rathakūbaram

Translation

Sañjaya dit : De sa massue, Bhīmasena frappa le timon/la poutre maîtresse du char de Karṇa, voulant estropier le véhicule et, par là, briser l’élan du guerrier au cœur du tumulte. Ce geste marque un choix tactique : neutraliser l’instrument du mal plutôt que de se borner à échanger des coups, tout en demeurant dans les âpres nécessités du champ de bataille.

Word by Word

• गदया: with a mace
• गदया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• भीमसेनः: Bhimasena (Bhima)
• भीमसेनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीमसेन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• कर्णस्य: of Karna
• कर्णस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• रथकूबरम्: the chariot-pole (yoke/pole of the chariot)
• रथकूबरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथकूबर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīmasena
• Karṇa
• gadā (mace)
• ratha (chariot)
• rathakūbara (chariot pole/beam)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights battlefield prudence: in war, a warrior may aim to neutralize an opponent’s capacity to fight—here by damaging the chariot—rather than only seeking direct injury. It underscores how kṣatriya action often blends force with tactical restraint and purpose.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates that Bhīmasena, wielding a mace, strikes Karṇa’s chariot at its kūbara (a key structural pole/beam), attempting to disable or destabilize the chariot during the fighting.