Shloka 31

Devanagari script

नकुलेन शरा मुक्ता: कड़कबर्हिणवासस: । सूतपुत्रमवच्छाद्य व्यतिष्ठन्त यथाम्बरे,नकुलके बाणोंमें कंक और मयूरके पंख लगे हुए थे। वे उनके धनुषसे छूटकर सूतपुत्रको आच्छादित करके जिस प्रकार आकाशमें स्थित होते थे, उसी प्रकार उस महासमरमें सूतपुत्रके चलाये हुए बाण पाण्डुकुमार नकुलको आच्छादित करके आकाशमें छा जाते थे

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

nakulena śarā muktāḥ kaṅkabarhiṇavāsasaḥ |

sūtaputram avacchādya vyatiṣṭhanta yathāmbare ||

Translation

ಸಂಜಯನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ನಕುಲನು ಕೊಕ್ಕರೆ ಮತ್ತು ನವಿಲು ರೆಕ್ಕೆಗಳಿಂದ ಅಲಂಕರಿಸಿದ ಬಾಣಗಳನ್ನು ಬಿಟ್ಟನು. ಅವು ಸೂತಪುತ್ರ ಕರ್ಣನನ್ನು ಆವರಿಸಿ, ಆಕಾಶದಲ್ಲಿ ನಿಂತಂತೆಯೇ ಕಂಡವು; ಮಹಾಸಮರದಲ್ಲಿ ಘನವಾಗಿ ಅವನನ್ನು ಮುಚ್ಚಿದವು.

Word by Word

नकुलेनby Nakula

शराःarrows

मुक्ताःreleased, discharged

कडकबर्हिणवाससःhaving coverings/adornments of heron-feathers and peacock-feathers

सूतपुत्रम्the charioteer’s son (Karna)

अवच्छाद्यhaving covered, covering

व्यतिष्ठन्तstood, remained

यथाas, just as

अम्बरेin the sky

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Nakula

Karna (Sūtaputra)

arrows (śarāḥ)

heron feathers (kaṅka)

peacock feathers (barhiṇa)

sky (ambara)

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 verse highlights kṣatriya steadfastness and martial excellence: in righteous warfare, one’s duty is performed through disciplined skill and courage, even when the battlefield becomes a storm of missiles that ‘covers’ the opponent.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Nakula shooting a dense volley of feather-fletched arrows that envelops Karna (called Sūtaputra), making the shafts appear as if suspended in the sky due to their sheer number and spread.