Shloka 1

अमोघशक्तिव्यंसनप्रश्नः — Why Karṇa’s Śakti Was Not Used on Arjuna

Devanagari script

नसजआा रत (0) आसजअन+- पञ्चपञ्चाशर्दाधिकशततमो< ध्याय: द्रणोचार्यद्वारा शिबिका वध तथा भीमसेनद्वारा घुस्से और थप्पड़से कलिंगराजकुमारका एवं ध्रुव, जयरात तथा धृतराष्ट्रपुत्र दुष्कर्ण और दुर्मदका वध धृतराष्ट उवाच तस्मिन्‌ प्रविष्टे दुर्धषे सूज्जयानमितौजसि । अमृष्यमाणे संरब्धे का वो5भूद्‌ वै मतिस्तदा

Transliteration

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | tasmin praviṣṭe durdharṣe sūryajayanamitaujasi | amṛṣyamāṇe saṃrabdhe kā vo 'bhūd vai matis tadā ||

Translation

ಧೃತರಾಷ್ಟ್ರನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ದುರ್ಧರ್ಷನಾದ, ಅಪಾರಬಲವಂತನಾದ ಸೂರ್ಯಜಯನು ಯುದ್ಧದಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರವೇಶಿಸಿ, ಕಂಡುದನ್ನು ಸಹಿಸಲಾರದೆ ಕ್ರೋಧದಿಂದ ಉರಿದಾಗ, ಆ ಕ್ಷಣದಲ್ಲಿ ನಿಮ್ಮ ನಿರ್ಣಯವೇನು ಆಗಿತ್ತು?

Word by Word

• धृतराष्ट्रः: Dhritarashtra
• धृतराष्ट्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृतराष्ट्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तस्मिन्: in/when that (was the case)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• प्रविष्टे: having entered / when (he) had entered
• प्रविष्टे: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-विश्
• Form: Past Passive Participle (kta), Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• दुर्धर्षे: in/into the unassailable (one/place)
• दुर्धर्षे: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्धर्ष
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• सुञ्जय-अमितौजसि: in Sunjaya, (who is) of immeasurable might
• सुञ्जय-अमितौजसि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुञ्जय + अमितौजस्
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• अमृष्यमाणे: when (he) was not enduring / being impatient
• अमृष्यमाणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृष् (with neg. a-), amṛṣyamāṇa
• Form: Present Participle (Śatṛ), Ātmanepada sense, Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• संरब्धे: when (he) was enraged/agitated
• संरब्धे: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सं-रभ् (PPP: संरब्ध)
• Form: Past Passive Participle (kta) used adjectivally, Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• का: what (kind of)
• का: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• वः: of you / your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: 2, Genitive, Plural

• अभूत्: was / became
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Aorist (luṅ), 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• मतिः: thought, intention
• मतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मति
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• तदा: then, at that time
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Sūryajaya

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a moral-psychological hinge in war: when anger (saṃrambha) arises from intolerance (amṛṣyamāṇa), one’s mati (judgment/resolve) is tested. It implicitly contrasts impulsive rage with disciplined counsel, a key ethical concern in the epic’s portrayal of dharma under pressure.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra asks about the moment a formidable warrior named Sūryajaya entered the battle and, provoked into anger, acted with intensity. The king seeks to know what decision or strategy ‘you all’ adopted at that critical instant.