Shloka 15

Devanagari script

नरेश्वर! वह यह सोचकर कि “दुरात्मा अर्जुनके वैरका बदला लेनेके लिये यही सबसे अच्छा अवसर है” बाणका रूप धारण करके कर्णके तरकसमें घुस गया ।। ततो<स्त्रसंघातसमाकुलं तदा बभूव जन्यं विततांशुजालम्‌ | तत्‌ कर्णपार्थों शरसंघवृष्टिभि- निरिन्तरं चक्रतुरम्बरं तदा

Transliteration

tato 'strasaṅghātasamākulaṃ tadā babhūva yuddhaṃ vitatāṃśujālam | tat karṇa-pārthau śarasaṅghavṛṣṭibhir nirantaraṃ cakratur ambaraṃ tadā ||

Translation

Ô souverain des hommes, songeant : «Voici la meilleure occasion de venger ma haine contre le funeste Arjuna», il prit la forme d’une flèche et se glissa dans le carquois de Karṇa. Alors la bataille se trouva encombrée de volées d’armes, tel un vaste filet de lueurs étincelantes. En ce temps-là, Karṇa et Pārtha (Arjuna), par des pluies de flèches ininterrompues, rendirent le ciel d’une seule pièce—changeant l’air en un champ continu de traits.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• अस्त्र: weapon, missile
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्र
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative (as compound member), Singular

• संघात: mass, multitude, cluster
• Type: Noun
• Root: संघात
• Form: Masculine, Nominative/Accusative (as compound member), Singular

• समाकुलम्: confused, crowded, filled
• समाकुलम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समाकुल
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• तदा: at that time
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• बभूव: became, was
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular

• जन्यम्: battle, fight
• जन्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• वितत: spread out, extended
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वितत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative (as compound member), Singular

• अंशु: ray, beam
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंशु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative/Accusative (as compound member), Singular

• जालम्: net, mesh
• जालम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाल
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• तत्: that (battle/scene)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कर्ण: Karna
• कर्ण: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (as compound member), Singular

• पार्थौ: Karna and Partha (Arjuna) (the two)
• पार्थौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• शर: arrow
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative/Accusative (as compound member), Singular

• संघ: multitude, mass
• Type: Noun
• Root: संघ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative/Accusative (as compound member), Singular

• वृष्टिभिः: with showers (of arrows)
• वृष्टिभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष्टि
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Plural

• निरन्तरम्: without break, continuously
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: निरन्तर

• चक्रतुः: they two made, they did
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Dual

• अम्बरम्: sky, firmament
• अम्बरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तदा: then, at that time
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Karna
• Arjuna (Partha)
• arrows (śara)
• missiles/weapons (astra)
• sky/atmosphere (ambara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how vengeance and rivalry can drive conflict into an unbroken, escalating exchange. Ethically, it points to the way personal animosity, when carried into a dharma-framed war, can still magnify suffering and intensity beyond necessity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Karṇa and Arjuna engaging in a fierce duel. Their continuous volleys of arrows and missiles fill the sky so densely that the battlefield appears covered by a radiant web of weapon-flashes.