Shloka 20

Devanagari script

कर्णक्ष पतिते चक्रे रथस्य रथिनां वर: । उत्तमे व्यसने मग्नो हतो गाण्डीवधन्चना,रथियोंमें श्रेष्ठ कर्णको भी गाण्डीवधारी अर्जुनने उस अवस्थामें मारा था, जब कि उनके रथका पहिया गड्ढेमें गिरकर फँस गया था और इसीलिये वे भारी संकटमें पड़े हुए थे

Transliteration

karṇakṣaḥ patite cakre rathasya rathināṃ varaḥ | uttame vyasane magno hato gāṇḍīvadhanvanā ||

Translation

Kripa said: “When Karna’s chariot-wheel had sunk and become stuck, that best of chariot-warriors, plunged into a dire calamity, was slain by the wielder of the Gāṇḍīva (Arjuna).” The statement recalls a contested moment of battlefield ethics, implying that Karna was killed while disadvantaged, and is used to frame later acts of retaliation and moral debate.

Word by Word

कर्णस्यof Karna

पतितेwhen (it) had fallen

चक्रेin/when the wheel

रथस्यof the chariot

रथिनाम्of chariot-warriors

वरःthe best

उत्तमेin the extreme

व्यसनेin calamity/distress

मग्नःsunk/immersed (in it)

हतःwas slain

गाण्डीवधन्वनाby the wielder of the Gāṇḍīva (Arjuna)

Speaker

कृप उवाच

Characters & Entities

Kṛpa

Karna

Arjuna

Gāṇḍīva

chariot wheel (cakra)

chariot (ratha)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Geographic Context

Sandhi Notes