Shloka 23

अर्जुनकर्णसंनिपातवर्णनम् / The Convergence of Arjuna and Karṇa

Devanagari script

को नु मे जीवितेनार्थों राज्येनार्थों भवेत्‌ पुन: । ममैवं विक्षतस्याद्य कर्णेनाहवशोभिना,स त्वां पृच्छामि कौन्तेय यथाद्य कुशलं तथा । तन्ममाचक्ष्व कार्त्स्न्येन यथा कर्णो हतस्त्वया कुन्तीनन्दन! इसीलिये मैं तुमसे पूछता हूँ कि आज जिस प्रकार सकुशल रहकर तुमने कर्णको मारा है, वह सारा समाचार मुझे पूर्णरूपसे बताओ

Transliteration

ko nu me jīvitena artho rājyenārtho bhavet punaḥ | mamaivaṁ vikṣatasya adya karṇenāhava-śobhinā, sa tvāṁ pṛcchāmi kaunteya yathādya kuśalaṁ tathā | tan mamācakṣva kārtsnyena yathā karṇo hatas tvayā kuntī-nandana ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira dit : «À quoi me sert la vie—à quoi me sert encore la royauté—si aujourd’hui je suis ainsi meurtri par Karṇa, la gloire du champ de bataille ? C’est pourquoi, ô fils de Kuntī, je te le demande : puisque tu es revenu sain et sauf aujourd’hui et que tu as tué Karṇa, raconte-moi tout en détail—comment Karṇa fut abattu par toi.»

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'ko nu', 'definition': 'who indeed? (rhetorical: what possible…?)'}, {'term': 'me', 'definition': 'for me, to me'}, {'term': 'jīvitena', 'definition': 'by/with life

• life (instrumental)'}, {'term': 'arthaḥ', 'definition': 'purpose, value, use'}, {'term': 'rājya', 'definition': 'kingdom, sovereignty'}, {'term': 'bhavet punaḥ', 'definition': 'could there be again

• would be once more'}, {'term': 'mama', 'definition': 'of me, my'}, {'term': 'evaṁ', 'definition': 'thus, in this manner'}, {'term': 'vikṣatasya', 'definition': 'of one wounded, injured (genitive)'}, {'term': 'adya', 'definition': 'today, now'}, {'term': 'karṇena', 'definition': 'by Karṇa (instrumental)'}, {'term': 'āhava-śobhinā', 'definition': 'one who is the splendor/ornament of battle'}, {'term': 'pṛcchāmi', 'definition': 'I ask, I inquire'}, {'term': 'kaunteya', 'definition': 'O son of Kuntī (address to Arjuna)'}, {'term': 'kuśalam', 'definition': 'well-being, safety, welfare'}, {'term': 'ācakṣva', 'definition': 'tell, relate (imperative)'}, {'term': 'kārtsnyena', 'definition': 'completely, in full detail'}, {'term': 'hataḥ', 'definition': 'slain, killed'}, {'term': 'tvayā', 'definition': 'by you (instrumental)'}, {'term': 'kuntī-nandana', 'definition': 'son of Kuntī (epithet of Arjuna)'}]

Speaker

युधिषछ्िर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Karṇa
• Arjuna (Kaunteya, Kuntī-nandana)
• Kuntī
• rājya (kingdom)
• āhava (battle)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical weight of war: even rightful kingship feels hollow when one is wounded in spirit and body by the conflict. It underscores the primacy of human cost over political gain and the need for truthful, complete reporting of decisive acts in a dharmic struggle.

What is happening in the narrative?

After being struck and shaken by Karṇa’s prowess, Yudhiṣṭhira turns to Arjuna (addressed as Kaunteya/Kuntī-nandana) and asks whether he is safe and to narrate in full how he managed to kill Karṇa, the foremost ornament of the battlefield.