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Shloka 41

कर्णभीमयुद्धम्

Karna–Bhīma Combat Report

चतुर्भिनिशितैस्ती&णै्हयान्‌ जघ्ने शरोत्तमै: । माननीय नरेश! तब द्रोणाचार्य अत्यन्त कुपित हो उठे और उन्होंने सानपर चढ़ाकर तेज किये हुए चार तीखे एवं उत्तम बाणोंद्वारा धर्मराजके चारों घोड़ोंको मार डाला ।। ४० ई || चिच्छेदेकेन भल्लेन धनुश्रैन्द्रध्ध्जोपमम्‌

caturbhir niśitais tīkṣṇaiḥ śarottamaiḥ hayān jaghne | mānanīya nareśa! tad droṇācāryaḥ atyantaṃ kupito ho uṭhe aura unhoṃne sāna para caṛhākara teja kiye hue cār tīkṣṇa evaṃ uttama bāṇoṃ dvārā dharmarāja ke cāroṃ ghoṛoṃ ko mār ḍālā || cicchede ekena bhallena dhanuḥ śakra-dhvaja-upamam ||

Sanjaya said: “O venerable king, then Droṇācārya, inflamed with intense anger, struck down the four horses of Dharmarāja with four razor-sharp, excellent arrows honed to a keen edge. And with a single broad-headed arrow he severed the bow that was like Indra’s banner.”

चतुर्भिःwith four
चतुर्भिः:
Karana
TypeAdjective
Rootचतुर्
FormMasculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural
निशितैःsharpened, keen
निशितैः:
Karana
TypeAdjective
Rootनिशित
FormMasculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural
तीक्ष्णैःsharp
तीक्ष्णैः:
Karana
TypeAdjective
Rootतीक्ष्ण
FormMasculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural
हयान्horses
हयान्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootहय
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
जघ्नेslew, killed
जघ्ने:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootहन्
FormPerfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular
शर-उत्तमैःwith excellent arrows
शर-उत्तमैः:
Karana
TypeNoun/Adjective
Rootशरोत्तम
FormMasculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural
चिच्छेदcut, severed
चिच्छेद:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootछिद्
FormPerfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular
एकेनwith one
एकेन:
Karana
TypeAdjective
Rootएक
FormMasculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular
भल्लेनwith a bhalla-arrow (broad-headed arrow)
भल्लेन:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootभल्ल
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Singular
धनुःbow
धनुः:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootधनुस्
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
इन्द्र-ध्वज-उपमम्like Indra's banner
इन्द्र-ध्वज-उपमम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootइन्द्रध्वजोपम
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular

संजय उवाच

S
Sanjaya
D
Dhritarashtra (addressed as nareśa)
D
Dronacharya
D
Dharmaraja (Yudhishthira)
F
four horses (of Dharmaraja’s chariot)
A
arrows (śara, bāṇa, bhalla)
B
bow (dhanuḥ)
I
Indra (Śakra) and his banner (dhvaja) as a simile

Educational Q&A

The verse highlights how uncontrolled anger (krodha) intensifies violence and accelerates destruction in war; even a revered teacher like Droṇa, when overtaken by rage, directs lethal skill toward disabling an opponent’s mobility and capacity to fight.

Sanjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Droṇa, furious, shoots four sharpened arrows to kill the four horses of Dharmarāja’s chariot, and then with a single bhalla arrow cuts down the bow likened to Indra’s banner—tactically crippling the enemy’s chariot and weapon.