Shloka 22

Devanagari script

तावुत्तमौ सर्वधनुर्धराणां महाबलौ सर्वसपत्नसाहौ । कर्णस्य पार्थस्य निशम्य युद्ध दिदृक्षमाणा: कुरवो5भितस्थु:,वे दोनों ही सम्पूर्ण धनुर्धर वीरोंमें श्रेष्ठ महान्‌ बलवान्‌ तथा समस्त शत्रुओंका वेग सहन करनेवाले थे। कर्ण और अर्जुनका युद्ध सुनकर समस्त कौरववीर उसे देखनेके लिये दर्शकोंकी भाँति खड़े हो गये

Transliteration

tāv uttamau sarva-dhanurdharāṇāṁ mahābalau sarva-sapatna-sāhau | karṇasya pārthasya niśamya yuddhaṁ didṛkṣamāṇāḥ kuravo ’bhitasthuḥ ||

Translation

ヴァイシャンパーヤナは語った。二人はあらゆる弓手の中でも最上、巨力を備え、いかなる敵の猛攻にも耐え得る者であった。カルナとパールタ（アルジュナ）が戦っていると聞くや、クル族の武者たちは集まり、見物人のように周囲に立ち並び、その勝負を見届けようとした。

Word by Word

• {'tāv': 'those two', 'uttamau': 'the best, foremost', 'sarva-dhanurdharāṇām': 'of all bow-bearers

• of all archers', 'mahābalau': 'very powerful, of great strength (dual)', 'sarva-sapatna-sāhau': 'able to endure/withstand all rivals/enemies', 'karṇasya': 'of Karṇa', 'pārthasya': 'of Pārtha (Arjuna, son of Pṛthā)', 'niśamya': 'having heard, on hearing', 'yuddham': 'battle, combat', 'didṛkṣamāṇāḥ': 'wishing to see, eager to behold', 'kuravaḥ': 'the Kurus

• Kuru warriors', 'abhitasthuḥ': 'stood around, took their stand on all sides'}

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Karṇa
• Pārtha (Arjuna)
• Kuravaḥ (Kuru warriors)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how extraordinary martial excellence draws collective attention and shapes the morale of armies; it also hints at the ethical tension of war as it becomes a spectacle, where warriors are judged by prowess as much as by purpose.

What is happening in the narrative?

News spreads that Karṇa and Arjuna are fighting. Recognizing them as the greatest of archers and immensely powerful, the Kuru warriors gather and stand around to watch the duel.