Shloka 256

Adhyāya 35 — Bhīmasena’s Counter-Encirclement and the Karṇa Engagement Escalation

Devanagari script

अत्यत:ः कड़्कपत्राणां सहस्राणि शतानि च | “शल्य! आज सैकड़ों और सहस्रों कंकपत्रयुक्त बाणोंकी वर्षा करते हुए मुझ कर्णके बाहुबलको अर्जुन देखें

Transliteration

atyataḥ kaṅkapatrāṇāṃ sahasrāṇi śatāni ca | “śalya! āja saikṛḍoṃ aura sahasroṃ kaṅkapatrayukta-bāṇoṃkī varṣā karate hue mujh karṇake bāhubalako arjuna dekhe”

Translation

Sañjaya said: “O Śalya, today let Arjuna behold Karṇa’s might of arm, as he pours down a rain of arrows—hundreds and thousands—each feathered with the plumage of the heron. Let this display of martial power be witnessed on the battlefield.”

Word by Word

• अत्यतः: exceedingly, very much
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्यन्त (अव्ययार्थे)
• Form: अव्ययम्

• कङ्कपत्राणाम्: of (the) heron-feathered (arrows)
• कङ्कपत्राणाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: कङ्कपत्र (प्रातिपदिकम्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, षष्ठी, बहुवचनम्

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिकम्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्

• शतानि: hundreds
• शतानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिकम्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: अव्ययम्

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Śalya
• Karṇa
• Arjuna
• kaṅkapatra (heron-feathered arrows)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of demonstrating courage and skill in battle, while also showing how pride and rivalry drive warriors to seek public proof of their prowess—an ethical tension in war between duty and ego.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports a battlefield utterance addressed to Śalya, urging that Arjuna should witness Karṇa’s arm-strength through a massive volley of heron-feathered arrows—an explicit challenge and display of force in the Karṇa–Arjuna confrontation.