Shloka 24

कर्ण-पाण्डव-संमर्दः — Karṇa and Arjuna’s Intensified Engagement

Devanagari script

महारथो महाबाहुर्महाबाणैर्महाबल: । विव्याधाधिरथिभ्भीमं नवभिर्निशितैस्तदा,महारथी महाबाहु महाबली अधिरथपुत्र कर्णने उस समय नौ तीखे महाबाणोंसे भीमसेनको घायल कर दिया

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

mahāratho mahābāhur mahābāṇair mahābalaḥ |

vivyādhādhirathir bhīmaṁ navabhir niśitais tadā ||

Translation

ສັນຊະຍະກ່າວວ່າ: ໃນຂະນະນັ້ນ ກັຣນະ (ອະທິຣະຖະ) ມະຫາຣະຖີ ຜູ້ມີແຂນຍາວ ແລະພະລັງຫຼາຍ ໄດ້ຈິ້ມທະລຸພີມດ້ວຍລູກສອນອັນຄົມກິບ ແລະມີອຳນາດ ເກົ້າດອກ. ພາບນີ້ຊູ້ໃຫ້ເຫັນການທະວີຄວາມເກັ່ງແລະພະລັງໃນສົງຄາມຢ່າງບໍ່ຢຸດຢັ້ງ: ຝີມືຖືກສະແດງຜ່ານການຈົມຕີທີ່ວັດຜົນແລະແນ່ນອນ ບໍ່ແມ່ນຄວາມຮຸນແຮງແບບບໍ່ເລືອກໜ້າ.

Word by Word

महारथःgreat chariot-warrior

महाबाहुःmighty-armed

महाबाणैःwith great arrows

महाबलःvery strong

विव्याधpierced/wounded

अधिरथिःthe chariot-warrior (Adhirathi, i.e., Karna)

भीमम्Bhima

नवभिःwith nine

निशितैःsharp (whetted)

तदाthen/at that time

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Adhirathi (Karna)

Bhīma (Bhīmasena)

arrows

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 the kṣatriya-world ethic of disciplined martial excellence: power is expressed through precise, skillful action in the midst of duty-bound conflict, illustrating how war in the epic is narrated as a test of prowess and resolve rather than mere chaos.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Karna (called Adhirathi), a foremost warrior, strikes Bhīma with nine sharp arrows, wounding him during the intense fighting of the Droṇa Parva.