Shloka 153

Aśvatthāman’s Arrow-Screen and the Confrontation with Yudhiṣṭhira (द्रौणि–युधिष्ठिर-संग्रामः)

Devanagari script

भयावदीर्ण: संत्रासादबद्धं बहु भाषसे । तुम तो दुष्ट स्वभावके मूर्ख मनुष्य हो। बड़े-बड़े युद्धोंमें कैसे शत्रुका सामना किया जाता है, इस बातसे अनभिज्ञ हो। भयसे तुम्हारा हृदय विदीर्ण-सा हो रहा है; अतः डरके मारे बहुत-सी असंगत बातें कह रहे हो

Transliteration

bhayāvadīrṇaḥ saṃtrāsād abaddhaṃ bahu bhāṣase |

Translation

Karna dit : «Accablé par la peur, secoué de panique, tu prononces quantité de paroles incohérentes et sans fondement. Tu ignores comment l’on affronte l’ennemi dans les grandes batailles ; ton cœur semble déchiré par la terreur, et c’est pourquoi, par crainte, tu débites tant d’insensés propos.»

Word by Word

भयावदीर्णःtorn/distressed by fear

संत्रासात्from panic/terror

बद्धम्bound/fastened (i.e., constrained/overcome)

बहुmuch; many (things)

भाषसेyou speak

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

Karna

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?

Fear distorts judgment and speech; a warrior-leader is expected to maintain steadiness and speak with coherence and resolve, especially in crisis.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna rebukes his interlocutor for being panic-stricken and for speaking incoherently, asserting that the person does not understand how enemies are to be faced in major battles.