Shloka 31

कर्णपरर्वणि त्रयोचत्वारिंशदध्यायः (Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 43) — Kṛṣṇa’s Battlefield Assessment and the Reversal Around Bhīma

Devanagari script

पज्च नद्यो वहन्त्येता यत्र पीलुवनान्युत

Transliteration

pañca nadyo vahanty etā yatra pīluvanāny uta

Translation

Karna said: “There are five rivers flowing there, and there too are groves of pīlu trees.”

Word by Word

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च
• Form: feminine, nominative, plural

• नद्यः: rivers
• नद्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी
• Form: feminine, nominative, plural

• वहन्ति: flow / carry
• Type: Verb
• Root: वह्
• Form: present, third, plural

• एताः: these
• एताः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: feminine, nominative, plural

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र

• पीलुवनानि: groves/forests of pīlu-trees
• पीलुवनानि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीलुवन
• Form: neuter, nominative, plural

• उत: also / and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Karna
• five rivers
• pīlu groves (pīlu trees)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes situational awareness: a leader in war must accurately note terrain features—rivers and vegetation—since they shape movement, tactics, and the safety of troops.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna is describing a particular region relevant to the ongoing battle context, identifying key natural landmarks—five rivers and pīlu-tree groves—likely to orient others and inform tactical decisions.