Shloka 98

Devanagari script

नवमीं दशमीं चास्य तथा चैकादशीं वृष: । ज्याशतं शतसंधान: स कर्णो नावबुध्यते,इतना ही नहीं, नवीं, दसवीं और ग्यारहवीं डोरी काटकर भी सौ बाणोंका संधान करनेवाले कर्णको यह पता नहीं चला कि अर्जुनके धनुषमें सौ डोरियाँ लगी हैं

Transliteration

navamīṁ daśamīṁ cāsya tathā caikādaśīṁ vṛṣaḥ | jyāśataṁ śatasandhānaḥ sa karṇo nāvabudhyate ||

Translation

ಸಂಜಯನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಪ್ರತಿದ್ವಂದ್ವಿಯ ಒಂಬತ್ತನೇ, ಹತ್ತನೇ ಮತ್ತು ಹನ್ನೊಂದನೇ ಧನುರ್ಜ್ಯೆಯನ್ನು ಕತ್ತರಿಸಿದರೂ, ವೃಷಭಸಮಾನ ಪರಾಕ್ರಮಿ, ಶತಶರಸಂಧಾನಿ ಕರ್ಣನು—ಅರ್ಜುನನ ಧನುಸ್ಸಿಗೆ ನೂರು ಜ್ಯೆಗಳು ಕಟ್ಟಲ್ಪಟ್ಟಿವೆ ಎಂಬುದನ್ನು ಅರಿಯಲಿಲ್ಲ।

Word by Word

नवमीम्the ninth (string)

दशमीम्the tenth (string)

चand

अस्यof this (bow/its)

तथाlikewise

चand

एकादशीम्the eleventh (string)

वृषःthe bull (hero)

ज्या-शतम्a hundred bowstrings

शत-सन्धानःone who makes the joining/aiming of a hundred (arrows)

सःhe

कर्णःKarna

नnot

अवबुध्यतेunderstands/realizes

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Karna

Arjuna

bowstring (jyā)

Arjuna’s bow (implicitly)

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?

Superior preparation and higher support can neutralize even exceptional talent; fixation on one’s own prowess may blind a warrior to the opponent’s deeper resources and resilience.

What is happening in the narrative?

During the battle, Karṇa repeatedly severs Arjuna’s bowstrings—up to the ninth, tenth, and eleventh—yet Arjuna continues fighting without apparent loss, because his bow is effectively strung with many strings; Karṇa fails to notice this hidden advantage.