Shloka 12

Devanagari script

शरास्तु कर्णार्जुनबाहुमुक्ता विदार्य नागाश्चमनुष्यदेहान्‌ । प्राणान्‌ निरस्याशु महीं प्रतीयु- महोरगा वासमिवातिताम्रा:

Transliteration

śarās tu karṇārjuna-bāhu-muktā vidārya nāgāṁś ca manuṣya-dehān | prāṇān nirasyāśu mahīṁ pratīyur mahā-uragā vāsaṁ ivātitāmrāḥ ||

Translation

ಶಲ್ಯನು ಹೇಳಿದನು— ಕರ್ಣ ಮತ್ತು ಅರ್ಜುನರ ಭುಜಗಳಿಂದ ಹೊರಟ ಬಾಣಗಳು ಆನೆಗಳನ್ನೂ ಮಾನವದೇಹಗಳನ್ನೂ ಚೀರಿಹಾಕಿ, ಕ್ಷಿಪ್ರವಾಗಿ ಪ್ರಾಣವನ್ನು ಕಸಿದು, ಭೂಮಿಗೆ ಬಿದ್ದು ಅದರಲ್ಲಿ ನುಗ್ಗುತ್ತಿದ್ದವು— ತಾಮ್ರವರ್ಣ ಮಹಾಸರ್ಪಗಳು ತಮ್ಮ ಬಿಲಕ್ಕೆ ಮರಳುವಂತೆ.

Word by Word

शराःarrows

तुbut/indeed

कर्णार्जुनबाहुमुक्ताःreleased from the arms of Karna and Arjuna

विदार्यhaving torn/pierced

नागान्elephants

चand

मनुष्यदेहान्human bodies

प्राणान्life-breaths/lives

निरस्यhaving expelled/removed

आशुquickly

महीम्the earth/ground

प्रतीयुःwent/entered

महा-उरगाःgreat serpents

वासम्dwelling/abode

इवlike/as if

अतिताम्राःexceedingly copper-red (very reddish)

Speaker

शल्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

Śalya

Karna

Arjuna

arrows

elephants

humans

earth

serpents

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 underscores the moral gravity of war: extraordinary skill and valor, when exercised in battle, become a swift and indiscriminate instrument of death. It invites reflection on the ethical cost of martial excellence and the fragility of life.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śalya describes the intensity of the duel: arrows shot by Karṇa and Arjuna pierce elephants and men, expel their life-breath, and then drop to the ground, compared to great serpents returning to their abode—an image emphasizing both speed and deadly inevitability.