Shloka 19

Devanagari script

स नूनं॑ विरथं दृष्टवा कर्ण भीमेन निर्जितम्‌

Transliteration

sa nūnaṁ virathaṁ dṛṣṭvā karṇa bhīmena nirjitam

Translation

Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “Surely, seeing Karṇa deprived of his chariot and defeated by Bhīma, (my mind is shaken).” The line conveys the king’s anxious recognition that even his foremost champion can be humbled in war, intensifying the moral and emotional weight of the conflict.

Word by Word

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

• नूनम्: surely, indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नूनम्

• विरथम्: without a chariot (chariotless)
• विरथम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विरथ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here)

• कर्णम्: Karna
• कर्णम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• भीमेन: by Bhima
• भीमेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीम
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• निर्जितम्: conquered, defeated
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि√जि
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Karṇa
• Bhīma
• chariot (ratha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the instability of worldly power in war: even the mightiest warrior can be reduced to vulnerability. It also reflects the ethical and emotional burden borne by leaders who witness the consequences of ambition and conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra reacts to news/vision of the battlefield where Bhīma has defeated Karṇa and left him without his chariot, signaling a serious setback for the Kaurava side and heightening the king’s fear for his sons’ fortunes.