Shloka 29

Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 54 — Missile-Exchange and Tactical Redirection

Arjuna, Aśvatthāman, Karṇa

Devanagari script

स चापि पार्थ बहुभि: पृषत्कै- वैंकर्तनो मेघ इवाभ्यवर्षत्‌ । तथैव कर्ण च किरीटमाली संछादयामास शितै: पृषत्कैः

Transliteration

sa cāpi pārtha bahubhiḥ pṛṣatkaiḥ vaikarṇano megha ivābhyavarṣat | tathaiva karṇaṃ ca kirīṭamālī saṃchādayāmāsa śitaiḥ pṛṣatkaiḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dit : Vaikarṇana (Karna) aussi accabla Pārtha (Arjuna) d’une multitude de flèches, tel un nuage versant la pluie. De même, le héros ceint de diadème (Arjuna) recouvrit Karna de traits acérés.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• अपि: also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• पार्थ: O Partha (Arjuna)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• बहुभिः: with many
• बहुभिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• पृषत्कैः: with arrows
• पृषत्कैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृषत्क
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• वैकर्तनः: Vaikartana (Karna)
• वैकर्तनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैकर्तन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मेघः: a cloud
• मेघः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेघ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: like, as if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• अभ्यवर्षत्: rained upon, showered
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृष्
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada, Active

• तथा: thus, in that manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• कर्ण: O Karna
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

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

• किरीटमाली: the diadem-wearer (Arjuna)
• किरीटमाली: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: किरीटमालिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• संछादयामास: covered, concealed
• Type: Verb
• Root: छाद्
• Form: Perfect (Periphrastic Perfect), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada, Active

• शितैः: with sharp
• शितैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शित
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• पृषत्कैः: with arrows
• पृषत्कैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृषत्क
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Arjuna (Pārtha, Kirīṭamālī)
• Karna (Vaikarṇana)
• arrows (pṛṣatka)
• cloud (megha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the kṣatriya ethic of steadfastness and equal response in righteous combat: a warrior neither collapses under attack nor fights with cowardice, but meets force with disciplined courage, maintaining honor amid violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna showers Arjuna with a dense volley of arrows, compared to a rain-cloud. Arjuna, identified as the diadem-wearer, answers in kind by covering Karna with sharp arrows, depicting an intense, evenly matched exchange.