Shloka 32

कर्णपर्व — पञ्चदशोऽध्यायः | Karṇa Parva, Chapter 15: Pāṇḍya’s Advance and Aśvatthāmā’s Counterstroke

Devanagari script

सज्यं कृत्वा निमेषाच्च विव्याधार्जुनकेशवौ । त्रिभि: शतैर्वासुदेवं सहस्नेण च पाण्डवम्‌

Transliteration

sajyaṃ kṛtvā nimeṣācca vivyādhārjunakeśavau | tribhiḥ śatair vāsudevaṃ sahasreṇa ca pāṇḍavam ||

Translation

Sañjaya dit : En un battement de paupières, après avoir bandé son arc, il transperça à la fois Arjuna et Keśava. De trois cents flèches il frappa Vāsudeva, et de mille il frappa le Pāṇḍava.

Word by Word

• सज्यम्: strung/with the bowstring fixed
• सज्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सज्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कृत्वा: having done/made
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund)

• निमेषात्: from/within a blink
• निमेषात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: निमेष
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

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

• विव्याध: pierced/wounded
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्यध्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अर्जुन-केशवौ: Arjuna and Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)
• अर्जुन-केशवौ: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुन + केशव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Dual

• त्रिभिः: with three
• त्रिभिः: Karana
• Type: Numeral/Adjective
• Root: त्रि
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• शतैः: hundreds
• शतैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• वासुदेवम्: Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)
• वासुदेवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुदेव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सहस्रेण: with a thousand
• सहस्रेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

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

• पाण्डवम्: the Pāṇḍava (Arjuna)
• पाण्डवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Arjuna
• Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)
• Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)
• bow
• arrows

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ferocity and moral tension of dharmic warfare: extraordinary skill can be used for grave harm, and even the greatest figures are not beyond the reach of suffering in battle. It invites reflection on restraint, responsibility, and the heavy ethical cost inherent in armed conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports a rapid battlefield feat: an unnamed warrior (contextually, the opposing archer in this episode) strings his bow instantly and shoots to wound both Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa (Keśava/Vāsudeva), striking Kṛṣṇa with 300 arrows and Arjuna with 1000.