Shloka 24

Adhyāya 113: Karṇa–Bhīma Śaravarṣa and the Battlefield Aftermath (कर्णभीमशरवर्षः)

Devanagari script

आचार्यो लघुहस्तत्वादभेद्यकवचावृत:

Transliteration

ācāryo laghu-hastatvād abhedya-kavacāvṛtaḥ

Translation

Sañjaya said: The Ācārya, by virtue of his swift and light-handed skill, was covered in impenetrable armor—thus proving difficult to pierce in battle, a reminder that mastery and preparedness can make even a single warrior a near-unassailable force amid the moral chaos of war.

Word by Word

• आचार्यः: the teacher (Droṇa)
• आचार्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचार्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• लघुहस्तत्वात्: because of lightness/quickness of hand
• लघुहस्तत्वात्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लघुहस्तत्व
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• अभेद्यकवचावृतः: covered/protected by impenetrable armor
• अभेद्यकवचावृतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभेद्यकवचावृत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Ācārya (Droṇa)
• kavaca (armor)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how disciplined mastery (swift, precise action) combined with prudent protection (armor) can render a warrior extremely hard to overcome—suggesting that in dharmic conflict, capability and preparedness strongly shape outcomes, even when the larger war remains ethically fraught.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes the battlefield condition of the Ācārya (Droṇa): he is fighting with exceptional quickness and is clad in armor that is difficult to pierce, emphasizing his formidable presence at this stage of the Drona Parva.