Shloka 14

Devanagari script

ततः कर्ण समुत्सृज्य भैमसेनिरपि प्रभो । प्रत्यमित्रमुपायान्तमर्दयामास मार्गणै:,प्रभो! तब घटोत्कचने भी कर्णको छोड़कर अपने समीप आते हुए शत्रुको बाणोंद्वारा पीड़ित करना आरम्भ किया

Transliteration

tataḥ karṇa samutsṛjya bhaimasenir api prabho | pratyamitrām upāyāntam ardayāmāsa mārgaiḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Then, leaving Karṇa aside, Bhīmasena’s son (Ghaṭotkaca), O lord, began to harass with volleys of arrows the enemy who was advancing straight toward him. In the press of battle, the focus shifts from personal rivalry to immediate threat: the warrior’s duty becomes to check the oncoming foe and protect his side through timely, forceful resistance.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

कर्णम्Karna (as object: leaving Karna)

समुत्सृज्यhaving abandoned/left

भैमसेनिःBhimaseni (Ghaṭotkaca)

अपिalso, even

प्रभोO lord

प्रति-अमित्रम्the opposing enemy

उपायान्तम्approaching, coming near

अर्दयामासtormented, afflicted

मार्गणैःwith arrows

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Karṇa

Ghaṭotkaca (Bhīmasena’s son)

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by 'prabho')

arrows (mārgaṇa)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

In battlefield ethics, a warrior’s immediate duty is responsiveness to the present danger: personal targets may be set aside to counter the enemy who is directly advancing, using appropriate force to protect one’s side.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Ghaṭotkaca stops focusing on Karṇa and instead turns his arrows on an enemy who is coming toward him, beginning a direct missile assault to check that advance.