Shloka 4

Devanagari script

तमभ्यधावतन्निहते कुमारे कैकेयसेनापतिरुग्रकर्मा । शरैरविधुन्वन्‌ भृशमुग्रवेगै: कर्णात्मजं चाप्यहनत्‌ प्रसेनम्‌

Transliteration

tam abhyadhāvat tan-nihate kumāre kaikeyasenāpatir ugrakarmā | śarair vidhunvan bhṛśam ugravegaiḥ karṇātmajaṃ cāpy ahanat prasenaṃ ||

Translation

Sanjaya berkata: Ketika pangeran Kaikeya itu telah tewas, panglima Kaikeya, Ugrakarman, menerjang ke arah Karna. Sambil memutar busurnya dan melepas panah berkecepatan mengerikan, ia juga menghantam Prasena, putra Karna, hingga terluka di tengah pertempuran.

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अभ्यधावत्: ran towards / charged
• अभ्यधावत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: धाव्
• Form: Imperfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तत्: that one / him
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• निहते: when (he was) slain / upon being slain
• निहते: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-हन्
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• कुमारे: in/when the prince
• कुमारे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमार
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• कैकेयसेनापतिः: the commander of the Kaikeyas
• कैकेयसेनापतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कैकेय-सेनापति
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उग्रकर्मा: one of fierce deeds
• उग्रकर्मा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: उग्रकर्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• अविधुन्वन्: shaking / brandishing
• अविधुन्वन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-धुन्
• Form: Present, Singular, Parasmaipada, Present active participle (masc. nom. sg.)

• भृशम्: violently / greatly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भृशम्

• उग्रवेगैः: with fierce speed (ones)
• उग्रवेगैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उग्रवेग
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• कर्णात्मजम्: Karna's son
• कर्णात्मजम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण-आत्मज
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

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

• अहनत्: struck / wounded
• अहनत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: Imperfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• प्रसेनम्: Prasena
• प्रसेनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसेन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Ugrakarman
• Kekaya (people/kingdom)
• Prasena
• Karṇa
• arrows (śara)
• bow (implied by vidhunvan)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the war-ethic of immediate reprisal: the fall of a warrior triggers swift counteraction, showing how battlefield dharma (kṣatriya conduct) can intensify conflict and multiply suffering through chains of retaliation.

What is happening in the narrative?

After a prince has been struck down, the Kekaya commander Ugrakarman charges forward and, using fast and fierce arrows, strikes and wounds Prasena, who is identified as Karṇa’s son.