Shloka 4

Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 58 — Arjuna’s Arrow-Storm and Relief of Bhīmasena

Devanagari script

धृष्टद्युम्नो महाराज सहित: सर्वराजभि: । कर्णमेवाभिदुद्राव पाण्डवा श्व॒ महारथा:

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

dhṛṣṭadyumno mahārāja sahitaḥ sarvarājabhiḥ |

karṇam evābhidudrāva pāṇḍavāś ca mahārathāḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya dit : Ô Roi, Dhṛṣṭadyumna, accompagné de tous les rois alliés, se rua droit sur Karṇa. Et les grands guerriers de char des Pāṇḍava avancèrent eux aussi pour le soutenir—en cet instant où la bataille terrible flambait pleinement, où le sang était versé comme l’eau, et où il ne restait qu’un faible reste des combattants Saṁśaptaka.

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'संजय उवाच (sañjaya uvāca)', 'meaning': 'Sañjaya said (narrator reporting to Dhṛtarāṣṭra)'}, {'term': 'धृष्टद्युम्नः (dhṛṣṭadyumnaḥ)', 'meaning': 'Dhṛṣṭadyumna, commander of the Pāṇḍava army'}, {'term': 'महाराज (mahārāja)', 'meaning': 'O great king (address to Dhṛtarāṣṭra)'}, {'term': 'सहितः (sahitaḥ)', 'meaning': 'accompanied by, together with'}, {'term': 'सर्वराजभिः (sarvarājabhiḥ)', 'meaning': 'with all the kings (allied rulers)'}, {'term': 'कर्णम् एव (karṇam eva)', 'meaning': 'Karṇa alone / specifically Karṇa (as the target)'}, {'term': 'अभिदुद्राव (abhidudrāva)', 'meaning': 'rushed upon, charged at, attacked'}, {'term': 'पाण्डवाः (pāṇḍavāḥ)', 'meaning': 'the Pāṇḍavas (their side/warriors)'}, {'term': 'महारथाः (mahārathāḥ)', 'meaning': 'great chariot-warriors

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by address mahārāja)
• Dhṛṣṭadyumna
• Karṇa
• Pāṇḍavas
• Saṁśaptakas (from the accompanying Hindi gloss)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how, in the moral darkness of war where bloodshed becomes routine, commanders seek decisive outcomes by concentrating force on a key opponent. It implicitly invites reflection on dharma: strategic necessity may drive action, yet the ethical burden of escalating violence remains.

What is happening in the narrative?

As the battle intensifies and only a few Saṁśaptaka warriors remain, Dhṛṣṭadyumna—supported by allied kings—charges directly at Karṇa. The Pāṇḍava elite chariot-warriors also move in to back him, signaling a focused assault on Karṇa as a pivotal enemy champion.