Mahabharata 7.182.22 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 182, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

कुण्डलाभ्यां निमायाथ दिव्येन कवचेन च । तां प्राप्पामन्यत वृष: सतत त्वां हतं रणे

Transliteration

kuṇḍalābhyāṃ nimāyātha divyena kavacena ca | tāṃ prāpya manyata vṛṣaḥ satataṃ tvāṃ hataṃ raṇe, mahābāho ||

Translation

Setelah menukar antingnya dan zirah ilahinya lalu memperoleh kekuatan itu, Vṛṣa (Karṇa), wahai yang berlengan perkasa, senantiasa menganggap engkau telah gugur di medan perang.

Word by Word

• कुण्डलाभ्याम्: with (the two) earrings
• कुण्डलाभ्याम्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्डल
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Dual

• निमाय: having exchanged / having bartered
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + मा
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund)

• अथ: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• दिव्येन: with the divine
• दिव्येन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• कवचेन: armor
• कवचेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कवच
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

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

• ताम्: that (weapon-power)
• ताम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• प्राप्य: having obtained
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund)

• अमन्यत: thought / considered
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन्
• Form: Imperfect, 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• वृषः: the bull (hero; Karna)
• वृषः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सततम्: always / continually
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सतत

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Accusative, Singular

• हतम्: slain
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: Past Passive Participle, Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• महाबाहो: O mighty-armed one
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाबाहु
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

श्रीवायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu (Vāyudeva)
• Karna (Vṛṣa)
• Arjuna (implied addressee: mahābāho, tvām)
• Indra (contextual in the given prose gloss)
• Ghaṭotkaca (contextual in the given prose gloss)
• Divine armor (kavaca)
• Earrings (kuṇḍala)
• Śakti weapon (contextual in the given prose gloss)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how extraordinary boons and weapons can distort judgment: possessing a decisive power, Karna assumes certainty of victory and treats Arjuna’s death as inevitable. Ethically, it cautions against overconfidence and the moral ambiguity of gains obtained through bargaining away sacred protections.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu reports Karna’s mindset after he traded away his divine armor and earrings and received a formidable power in exchange. With that power in hand (later used against Ghaṭotkaca in the broader episode), Karna continually believed Arjuna would be slain in battle.