Shloka 20

कर्णार्जुनसमागमः — The Karṇa–Arjuna Confrontation

Cosmic Spectatorship and Vows

Devanagari script

स छिन्नथन्वा परिघं वज्रस्पर्शसमं युधि । आदाय चिक्षेप तदा द्रोणपुत्र: किरीटिने

Transliteration

sa chinnathanvā parighaṃ vajrasparśasamaṃ yudhi | ādāya cikṣepa tadā droṇaputraḥ kirīṭine ||

Translation

サञ्जयは言った。「弓を断たれるや、ドローナの子は戦のただ中で、触れれば金剛の雷のごとく硬い鉄の棍棒（パリガ）を取り、ただちに冠を戴くアルジュナへ投げつけた。」

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• छिन्न-धन्वा: whose bow was cut/broken
• छिन्न-धन्वा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: छिन्नधन्वन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• परिघम्: iron club/bar (parigha)
• परिघम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिघ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वज्र-स्पर्श-समम्: having touch like a thunderbolt (very hard)
• वज्र-स्पर्श-समम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वज्रस्पर्शसम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• युधि: in battle
• युधि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युध्
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• आदाय: having taken (up)
• आदाय: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-दा
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund)

• चिक्षेप: threw
• चिक्षेप: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षिप्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha), 3rd, Singular

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• द्रोण-पुत्रः: Drona's son (Ashvatthaman)
• द्रोण-पुत्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रोणपुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• किरीटिने: to the diadem-wearer (Arjuna)
• किरीटिने: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: किरीटिन्
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Droṇaputra (Aśvatthāmā)
• Kirīṭin (Arjuna)
• parigha (iron club)
• vajra (thunderbolt)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

In the pressure of war, the loss of one’s main support (here, the bow) can provoke a turn to harsher measures; the episode highlights the ethical strain on warriors to maintain discipline and judgment even as violence escalates.

What is happening in the narrative?

Aśvatthāmā, after his bow is cut, grabs a heavy iron club (parigha), described as thunderbolt-hard, and immediately hurls it at Arjuna, who is identified by his diadem (kirīṭin).