Shloka 283

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

Devanagari script

तलेन नाशयामास कर्णस्यैवाग्रत: स्थित: । गर्जना करते हुए ही उन्होंने बायें हाथसे जयरातको झटका देकर उसे थप्पड़से मार डाला। फिर वे कर्णके ही सामने जाकर खड़े हो गये

Transliteration

talena nāśayāmāsa karṇasyaivāgrataḥ sthitaḥ | garjanāṃ kurvata eva te bāyena hastena jayadrathaṃ jhaṭakā dattvā taṃ tāḍayāmāsuḥ | punaḥ sa karṇasyaiva sammukhe gatvā tiṣṭhāmāsa |

Translation

ಕರ್ಣನ ಎದುರೇ ನಿಂತು ಅವನು ತನ್ನ ಕರತಲದ ಹೊಡೆತದಿಂದ ಜಯರಥನನ್ನು ನೆಲಕ್ಕುರುಳಿಸಿದನು. ಗರ್ಜಿಸುತ್ತಲೇ ಎಡಗೈಯಿಂದ ಜಯರಥನನ್ನು ಹಿಡಿದು ಜಟಕ ನೀಡಿ, ಒಂದು ಚಪ್ಪಡಿಯಿಂದಲೇ ಸಂಹರಿಸಿದನು; ಬಳಿಕ ಉದ್ದೇಶಪೂರ್ವಕವಾಗಿ ಮುಂದೆ ಹೋಗಿ ಮತ್ತೆ ಕರ್ಣನ ಸಮ್ಮುಖದಲ್ಲೇ ನಿಂತನು.

Word by Word

तलेनwith the palm (slap)

नाशयामासdestroyed / killed

कर्णस्यof Karna

एवindeed / just

अग्रतःin front (of)

स्थितःstanding

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Karṇa

Jayadratha

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 passage highlights the kṣatriya battlefield ethic of decisive action: in war, outcomes are immediate and public, and a warrior’s stance—standing openly before a formidable foe—signals resolve and the intent to shatter the enemy’s confidence as well as to secure justice for prior wrongs.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that a warrior, positioned right in front of Karṇa, kills Jayadratha with a palm-blow while roaring, jerking him with the left hand, and then steps forward to stand again directly before Karṇa, emphasizing a bold, confrontational posture.