Shloka 15

Devanagari script

आस्थित: स रथश्रेष्ठ कर्ण: शरगभस्तिमान्‌

Transliteration

āsthitaḥ sa rathaśreṣṭhaḥ karṇaḥ śaragabhastimān

Translation

Sañjaya said: Then Karṇa, the foremost of chariot-warriors, stood firm—his hands (as it were) radiant with arrows—ready for battle. The line underscores his unwavering resolve and martial prowess at a decisive moment in the war.

Word by Word

• आस्थितः: having mounted / having taken position
• आस्थितः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-स्था (धातु) / आस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle), active sense (kartari-prayoga by usage)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• रथश्रेष्ठ: O best of charioteers
• रथश्रेष्ठ: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथश्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक: रथ + श्रेष्ठ)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• कर्णः: Karna
• कर्णः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शरगभस्तिमान्: having rays/hands of arrows; armed with arrow-beams
• शरगभस्तिमान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शरगभस्तिमत् (प्रातिपदिक: शर + गभस्ति + मत्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Karṇa
• chariot (ratha)
• arrows (śara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights steadfastness and readiness: a warrior’s resolve is shown by taking a firm stance and being fully prepared. Ethically, it points to determination in one’s chosen duty—here, the grim duty of war—while also reminding the reader that prowess and resolve drive the unfolding consequences of karma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Karṇa taking his position on the battlefield. Karṇa is portrayed as the foremost chariot-warrior, with hands bristling or shining with arrows, signaling imminent combat and his active leadership in the Karṇa Parva battle sequence.