Shloka 22

भीष्मपातने कर्णविलापः | Karṇa’s Lament upon Seeing Bhīṣma Fallen

Devanagari script

यस्य दिव्यानि कर्माणि प्रवदन्ति मनीषिण: । अमानुषैश्च संग्रामस्त्रयम्बकेण महात्मना,“आपके सिवा दूसरा कौन राजा अर्जुनसे युद्ध कर सकता है? मनीषी पुरुष जिनके दिव्य कर्मोंका बखान करते हैं, जो मानवेतर प्राणियों--असुरों तथा दैत्योंसे भी संग्राम कर चुके हैं, त्रिनेत्रधारी महात्मा भगवान्‌ शंकरके साथ भी जिन्होंने युद्ध किया है और उनसे वह उत्तम वर प्राप्त किया है, जो अजितेन्द्रिय पुरुषोंके लिये सर्वथा दुर्लभ है, जिन्हें पहले आप भी जीत नहीं सके हैं, उन्हें आज दूसरा कौन युद्धमें जीत सकता है?

Transliteration

yasya divyāni karmāṇi pravadanti manīṣiṇaḥ | amānuṣaiś ca saṅgrāmas trayambakeṇa mahātmanā ||

Translation

サンジャヤは言った。「賢者たちがその業をまことに神々しいと語る者—非人の者どもとも戦い、また大いなる心をもつ三つ目の主（シヴァ）とも戦った者—そのアルジュナに、あなた以外のどの王が戦で対峙できましょうか。」

Word by Word

यस्यof whom/whose

दिव्यानिdivine

कर्माणिdeeds

प्रवदन्तिdeclare, speak of

मनीषिणःsages, wise men

अमानुषैःwith non-human (beings)

चand

संग्रामःbattle

त्रयम्बकेणwith the three-eyed one (Śiva)

महात्मनाwith the great-souled (one)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Arjuna

Śiva (Trayambaka, the Three-eyed Lord)

manīṣiṇaḥ (the wise/sages)

amānuṣāḥ (non-human beings, e.g., asuras/daityas as per the prose gloss)

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 underscores that true martial authority is grounded not merely in royal status but in proven excellence and divine-tested valor; Arjuna’s prowess is portrayed as so exceptional—acknowledged by the wise and measured even against superhuman opponents—that ordinary political power cannot easily rival it.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya is describing Arjuna’s extraordinary reputation and past exploits to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, emphasizing that Arjuna has fought non-human beings and even encountered Śiva in battle; therefore, Sañjaya implies that few—if any—kings besides the addressed listener could credibly face Arjuna in war.