Shloka 9
कर्णस्तु सुमहातेजा: सिंहनादविमिश्रितम् । धनु:शब्दं महच्चक्रे दथ्मौ तारेण चाम्बुजम्,उधर महातेजस्वी कर्णने सिंहनादके साथ-साथ अपने धनुषकी महती टंकारध्वनि फैलायी और उच्चस्वरसे शंख बजाया
sañjaya uvāca |
karṇas tu sumahātejāḥ siṃhanādavimiśritam |
dhanuḥśabdaṃ mahāc cakre dadhmau tāreṇa cāmbujam ||
Sañjaya said: Karṇa, blazing with great splendor, raised a mighty bow-twang mingled with a lion-like roar, and then blew his conch—called Āmbuja—with a piercing, high note. In the moral atmosphere of the war, this is a deliberate proclamation of resolve and intimidation: a warrior publicly signals readiness to fight, seeking to strengthen his own side’s courage while shaking the enemy’s composure.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a kṣatriya’s public assertion of readiness in battle: sound (roar, bow-twang, conch) becomes a moral and psychological instrument—bolstering allies and unsettling opponents—showing how resolve is communicated and tested in dharma-yuddha contexts.
Sañjaya reports that Karṇa, filled with martial energy, roars like a lion, makes his bow resound loudly, and blows his conch Āmbuja in a piercing tone—an audible signal that the fighting is intensifying and that Karṇa is entering the fray with confidence.