Shloka 29

कर्णार्जुनसमागमः — The Karṇa–Arjuna Confrontation

Cosmic Spectatorship and Vows

Devanagari script

स संगृहा स्वयं वाहान्‌ कृष्णौ प्राच्छादयच्छरै: | तत्राद्भुतमपश्याम द्रौणेराशु पराक्रमम्‌

Transliteration

sa saṅgṛhya svayaṃ vāhān kṛṣṇau prācchādayac charaiḥ | tatrādbhutam apaśyāma drauṇer āśu parākramam ||

Translation

Sañjaya berkata: Ia sendiri mengambil alih kendali kuda-kuda, lalu dengan cepat menutupi kedua Kṛṣṇa (Kṛṣṇa dan Arjuna) dengan hujan anak panah. Di sana kami menyaksikan keperkasaan putra Droṇa yang gesit dan menggetarkan.

Word by Word

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

• संगृह्य: having gathered/collected
• संगृह्य: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-ग्रह्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage), indeclinable

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Karta
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम्
• Form: true

• वाहान्: horses (draught animals)
• वाहान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाह
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• कृष्णौ: the two black (horses)
• कृष्णौ: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Dual

• प्राच्छादयत्: covered
• प्राच्छादयत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-छाद्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• शरैः: with arrows
• शरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र
• Form: true

• अद्भुतम्: a wonderful (thing)
• अद्भुतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अद्भुत
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अपश्याम: we saw
• अपश्याम: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 1st, Plural, Parasmaipada

• द्रौणेः: of the son of Droṇa (Aśvatthāman)
• द्रौणेः: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रौणि
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• आशु: swiftly
• आशु: Visheshana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु
• Form: true

• पराक्रमम्: valor/prowess
• पराक्रमम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पराक्रम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Drauṇi (Aśvatthāman, son of Droṇa)
• Kṛṣṇa
• Arjuna
• horses
• arrows

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the battlefield ethic of direct personal engagement and responsibility—heroic prowess is not merely technical skill but decisive action taken in the moment, witnessed and judged within the framework of kṣatriya-dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Droṇa’s son (Aśvatthāman) personally took control of the horses and then unleashed a rapid volley of arrows, enveloping Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna; the onlookers are struck by the speed and intensity of his valor.