Shloka 20

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच तत:ः कर्ण: प्रह्ृष्टस्तु उपसंगम्य वासवम्‌ | अमाोधघां शक्तिमभ्येत्य वत्रे सम्पूर्णणानस:,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! तब कर्ण अत्यन्त प्रसन्न होकर देवराज इन्द्रके पास गया और सफलमनोरथ होकर उसने उनकी अमोघ शक्ति माँगी

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca: tataḥ Karṇaḥ prahṛṣṭas tu upasaṅgamya Vāsavam | amoghāṃ śaktim abhyetya vavre sampūrṇamānasaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Then Karṇa, filled with delight, approached Vāsava (Indra). With his heart set on success, he asked for Indra’s unfailing spear—seeking a decisive advantage through a divine weapon, a choice that foreshadows the moral tension between personal ambition and the larger order of dharma.

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaiśampāyana

उवाचsaid

ततःthen; thereafter

कर्णःKarna

प्रहृष्टःdelighted; very pleased

तुindeed; but

उपसंगम्यhaving approached

वासवम्Vāsava (Indra)

अमोघाम्unfailing

शक्तिम्spear; divine weapon (śakti)

अभ्येत्यhaving gone up to; having approached

वव्रेchose; asked for; requested

सम्पूर्णमनोरथःone whose desire was fulfilled; successful in aim

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Janamejaya

Karṇa

Vāsava (Indra)

amoghā śakti (unfailing spear)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how the pursuit of extraordinary power (a divine, unfailing weapon) can intensify ethical stakes: success gained through boons and weapons is not morally neutral, and such choices often bind the seeker to consequences within the larger framework of dharma and destiny.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Karṇa, pleased and confident, approaches Indra (Vāsava) and requests Indra’s unfailing spear (amoghā śakti), aiming to secure a decisive advantage.