Shloka 21

कर्ण-पाण्डव-संमर्दः — Karṇa and Arjuna’s Intensified Engagement

Devanagari script

ततो विस्फार्य सुमहद्धेमपृष्ठं दुरासदम्‌ । चापं भरतशार्टूलस्त्यक्तात्मा कर्णमभ्ययात्‌,उस समय भरतवंशके उस सिंहने अपने जीवनका मोह छोड़कर सुवर्णमय पृष्ठभागसे सुशोभित दुर्धर्ष एवं विशाल धनुषकी टंकार करते हुए वहाँ कर्णपर धावा किया

Transliteration

tato visphārya sumahad hemapṛṣṭhaṁ durāsadam | cāpaṁ bharataśārṭūlas tyaktātmā karṇam abhyayāt ||

Translation

そのとき、バーラタ族の虎は、自らの命への執着を投げ捨て、黄金に輝く背をもつ巨大で防ぎ難い弓を高らかに鳴らし、まっすぐカルナへと突進した。これは武人の冷厳な決意を示す瞬間である――生存を顧みず、強敵を前にしても戦の務めを選び取るのだ。

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

विस्फार्यhaving twanged/caused to resound

सुमहत्very great, huge

हेमपृष्ठम्gold-backed (with a golden back)

दुरासदम्hard to approach/assail

चापम्bow

भरतशार्दूलःthe tiger among the Bharatas

त्यक्तात्माone who has abandoned self-concern (reckless of life)

कर्णम्Karna

अभ्ययात्went towards/attacked

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Karṇa

bharataśārṭūla (Arjuna, by epithet)

cāpa (bow)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the Kṣatriya ideal of steadfastness in battle: a warrior, facing a daunting foe, acts with full resolve and without clinging to personal safety. Ethically, it portrays commitment to one’s chosen duty (svadharma) and the readiness to bear its consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Arjuna (called ‘bharataśārṭūla’) twanging his immense, golden-backed bow and then advancing to attack Karṇa, signaling the start or intensification of a direct confrontation.