Shloka 17

Devanagari script

कर्ण काशिपुरं गत्वा त्वयैकेन धनुष्मता । कन्यार्थे कुरुराजस्य राजानो मृदिता युधि,“कर्ण! तुमने कुरुराज दुर्योधनके लिये कन्या लानेके निमित्त अकेले काशीपुरमें जाकर केवल धनुषकी सहायतासे वहाँ आये हुए समस्त राजाओंको युद्धमें परास्त कर दिया था

Transliteration

karṇa kāśipuraṁ gatvā tvayaikena dhanuṣmatā | kanyārthe kururājasya rājāno mṛditā yudhi ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “O Karṇa, for the sake of obtaining a maiden for the Kuru king, you went alone to Kāśīpura, and with your bow alone you crushed the assembled kings in battle.” The line recalls Karṇa’s solitary martial prowess used in service of Duryodhana’s dynastic aims, highlighting how personal valor is harnessed to political desire and the ethics of force in pursuit of marriage alliances.

Word by Word

कर्णO Karna

काशिपुरम्to the city of Kāśī

गत्वाhaving gone

त्वयाby you

एकेनalone / with one (i.e., single-handed)

धनुष्मताarmed with a bow / bow-bearing

कन्यार्थेfor the sake of a maiden (bride)

कुरुराजस्यof the Kuru king

राजानःkings

मृदिताःcrushed / defeated

युधिin battle

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Karna

Kuru king (Duryodhana)

Kāśīpura (Kāśī/Varanasi)

bow (dhanus)

kings (rājānaḥ)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds how extraordinary personal strength can be directed toward political and personal objectives; it invites ethical reflection on using violence to secure marriage alliances and on the warrior’s loyalty to a ruler versus broader dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reminds Karṇa of a past feat: Karṇa went alone to Kāśīpura to obtain a maiden for Duryodhana and defeated the gathered kings in battle using only his bow.