Shloka 49

Devanagari script

पीड्यमान: शरैस्ती&णै: कर्णद्रोणकृपादिभि:

Transliteration

pīḍyamānaḥ śarais tīkṣṇaiḥ karṇa-droṇa-kṛpādibhiḥ

Translation

Sañjaya said: He was being sorely afflicted by sharp arrows shot by Karṇa, Droṇa, Kṛpa, and the other foremost warriors—an image of the crushing pressure of battle where many great fighters converge upon a single target.

Word by Word

• पीड्यमानः: being afflicted/tormented
• पीड्यमानः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पीड् (धातु) → पीड्यमान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शरैः: by arrows
• शरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• तीक्ष्णैः: sharp
• तीक्ष्णैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीक्ष्ण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• कर्णद्रोणकृपादिभिः: by Karna, Drona, Kripa and others
• कर्णद्रोणकृपादिभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण + द्रोण + कृप + आदि
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Karṇa
• Droṇa
• Kṛpa
• arrows (śara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The line underscores the harsh reality of kṣatriya warfare: when many eminent warriors focus their force, even a great fighter can be overwhelmed. Ethically, it highlights the weight of collective aggression and the endurance demanded by duty amid extreme suffering.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that a warrior (implied from context) is being intensely pressed in battle, struck by piercing arrows from Karṇa, Droṇa, Kṛpa, and other allied champions, indicating a concentrated assault at a critical moment in the fighting.