Shloka 14

Devanagari script

गदया भीमसेनस्तु कर्णस्य रथकूबरम्‌

Transliteration

gadayā bhīmasenas tu karṇasya rathakūbaram

Translation

Sañjaya said: With his mace, Bhīmasena struck at Karṇa’s chariot—its pole/structural beam—seeking to cripple the vehicle and thereby check the warrior’s momentum in the chaos of battle. The act reflects a tactical choice in war: disabling the means of harm rather than merely trading blows, while still remaining within the harsh necessities of the battlefield.

Word by Word

• गदया: with a mace
• गदया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• भीमसेनः: Bhimasena (Bhima)
• भीमसेनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीमसेन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• कर्णस्य: of Karna
• कर्णस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• रथकूबरम्: the chariot-pole (yoke/pole of the chariot)
• रथकूबरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथकूबर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīmasena
• Karṇa
• gadā (mace)
• ratha (chariot)
• rathakūbara (chariot pole/beam)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights battlefield prudence: in war, a warrior may aim to neutralize an opponent’s capacity to fight—here by damaging the chariot—rather than only seeking direct injury. It underscores how kṣatriya action often blends force with tactical restraint and purpose.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates that Bhīmasena, wielding a mace, strikes Karṇa’s chariot at its kūbara (a key structural pole/beam), attempting to disable or destabilize the chariot during the fighting.