Shloka 44

Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 58 — Arjuna’s Arrow-Storm and Relief of Bhīmasena

Devanagari script

धृष्टय्युम्नं हि विरथं हताश्चं छिन्नकार्मुकम्‌ । शरैश्व बहुधा विद्धमस्त्रैश्न शकलीकृतम्‌

Transliteration

dhṛṣṭadyumnaṃ hi virathaṃ hatāśvaṃ chinnakārmukam | śaraiś ca bahudhā viddham astraiś ca śakalīkṛtam ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “Indeed, Dhṛṣṭadyumna was left without his chariot, his horses slain, his bow cut down; pierced in many places by arrows and shattered by weapon-strikes.” The verse underscores the brutal momentum of battle, where prowess is tested not only by skill but by endurance amid sudden reversals of fortune.

Word by Word

• धृष्टद्युम्नम्: Dhrishtadyumna
• धृष्टद्युम्नम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृष्टद्युम्न
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• विरथम्: without a chariot (dismounted)
• विरथम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विरथ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• हताश्वम्: whose horses were slain
• हताश्वम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हताश्व
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• छिन्नकार्मुकम्: with bow cut/broken
• छिन्नकार्मुकम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: छिन्नकार्मुक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• बहुधा: in many ways/many times
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहुधा

• विद्धम्: pierced/wounded
• विद्धम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (व्यध्)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अस्त्रैः: with weapons/missiles
• अस्त्रैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्र
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• शकलीकृतम्: reduced to pieces/shattered
• शकलीकृतम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: शकलीकृत
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• संजय (Sañjaya)
• धृष्टद्युम्न (Dhṛṣṭadyumna)
• रथ (chariot)
• अश्व (horses)
• कार्मुक (bow)
• शर (arrows)
• अस्त्र (weapons/missiles)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the precariousness of martial fortune: even a foremost warrior can be suddenly deprived of chariot, horses, and bow. Ethically, it points to the harsh reality of kṣatriya warfare—valor is measured by steadiness amid loss and injury, while the narrative invites reflection on the cost of violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Dhṛṣṭadyumna has been overwhelmed in combat—his chariot situation has collapsed (he is ‘without chariot’), his horses are killed, his bow is cut, and he is repeatedly pierced by arrows and battered by weapons.