Shloka 17

Devanagari script

ततो भीमो महाबाहु: सूतपुत्रस्य भारत

Transliteration

tato bhīmo mahābāhuḥ sūtaputrasya bhārata

Translation

Sañjaya said: Then Bhīma, the mighty-armed one—O Bhārata—(turned his attention) toward the charioteer’s son, Karṇa, as the battle’s fierce momentum continued.

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereupon
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः
• Form: Avyaya (ablatival adverb: 'from/then')

• भीमः: Bhima
• भीमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महाबाहुः: mighty-armed
• महाबाहुः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाबाहु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सूतपुत्रस्य: of the charioteer’s son (Karna)
• सूतपुत्रस्य: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूतपुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• भारत: O Bharata
• भारत: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīma
• Karṇa
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by address 'Bhārata')

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the epic’s war-ethos where identity, reputation, and duty shape action: Bhīma is framed by heroic epithet (mahābāhu) while Karṇa is marked by social designation (sūtaputra), underscoring how status and narrative labels influence ethical perception amid conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates a shift in the battle’s focus: Bhīma, famed for strength, moves against or toward Karṇa (called sūtaputra). The line functions as a transition into the next action involving these warriors.