Shloka 20

कृष्णोपदेशः, अर्जुनस्य क्षमा-याचनम्, कर्णवध-अनुज्ञा

Krishna’s Counsel, Arjuna’s Apology, and Authorization for Karṇa’s Slaying

Devanagari script

पुत्रांस्ते निहतान्‌ दृष्टवा सूतपुत्र: सुदुर्मना:

Transliteration

putrāṁs te nihatān dṛṣṭvā sūtaputraḥ sudurmanāḥ

Translation

Sañjaya said: Seeing your sons slain, the charioteer’s son (Karna) became deeply despondent—his mind weighed down by grief amid the relentless moral cost of war.

Word by Word

• पुत्रान्: sons
• पुत्रान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• ते: your/of you
• ते: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• निहतान्: slain
• निहतान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-हन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), —, —

• सूतपुत्रः: the charioteer's son (Karna)
• सूतपुत्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूतपुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सुदुर्मनाः: very sorrowful / greatly dejected
• सुदुर्मनाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुदुर्मनस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Karna
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons (the Kauravas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even the mightiest warrior is not untouched by the consequences of violence: the sight of slain kin brings grief and moral weight, highlighting the human cost that accompanies adharma-driven conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Karṇa, seeing Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons killed, becomes profoundly dejected, signaling a turning point in morale amid the devastation of the battle.