Shloka 20
भीष्मपातने कर्णविलापः | Karṇa’s Lament upon Seeing Bhīṣma Fallen
Devanagari script
कपिथ्वजस्योत्यततो रथस्यामित्रकर्षिण:
Transliteration
kapidhvajasya udyatato rathasyāmitrakarṣiṇaḥ
Translation
Sañjaya dit : «Lorsque le char du guerrier dompteur d’ennemis, portant l’étendard au singe, s’élança en avant…»
Word by Word
कपिध्वजस्यof the monkey-bannered (Arjuna)
कपिध्वजस्य:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootकपिध्वज
FormMasculine, Genitive, Singular
उद्यततःof (him) who was raised/ready (for action)
उद्यततः:
Adhikarana
TypeAdjective
Rootउद्-यत्
FormMasculine, Genitive, Singular
रथस्यof the chariot
रथस्य:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootरथ
FormMasculine, Genitive, Singular
अमित्रकर्षिणःthe enemy-subduing (one)
अमित्रकर्षिणः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootअमित्रकर्षिन्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
Speaker
संजय उवाच
Characters & Entities
स
संजय (Sañjaya)क
कपिध्वज / अर्जुन (Kapidhvaja / Arjuna)र
रथ (chariot)क
कपिध्वज (monkey-banner; Hanumān emblem)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Cross References
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the ideal of steadfast kṣatriya resolve: a righteous warrior advances without hesitation, embodying disciplined courage in the midst of dharma-yuddha.
Sañjaya begins describing the forward surge of the monkey-bannered hero’s chariot—an image signaling Arjuna’s imminent engagement and the escalation of battle in the Droṇa Parva.