Mahabharata 7.177.23 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 177, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

ततः कर्णो5 भ्ययादेनमस्यन्नस्यन्तमन्तिकात्‌

Transliteration

tataḥ karṇo 'bhyayād enam asyann asyantam antikāt

Translation

സഞ്ജയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—അപ്പോൾ കർണ്ണൻ അവന്റെ നേരെ പാഞ്ഞുചെന്നു; സ്വയം ആയുധങ്ങൾ എറിയുന്നവന്റെ മേൽ അടുത്തുനിന്ന് ആയുധങ്ങൾ പ്രയോഗിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• ततः: then; thereupon
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततस्
• Form: Avyaya (ablatival adverb: 'from that/thereupon')

• कर्णः: Karna
• कर्णः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण
• Form: Masculine, nominative, singular

• अभ्ययात्: approached; went towards
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (याति)
• Form: Aorist (luṅ), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, singular; with preverb अभि-

• एनम्: him
• एनम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (एतद्-प्रत्ययः)
• Form: Masculine, accusative, singular

• अस्यन्: hurling; shooting
• अस्यन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (अस्यति)
• Form: Present active participle (śatṛ), masculine, nominative, singular

• अस्यन्तम्: one who was hurling/shooting
• अस्यन्तम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (अस्यति)
• Form: Present active participle (śatṛ), masculine, accusative, singular

• अन्तिकात्: from near; at close range
• अन्तिकात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तिक
• Form: Neuter, ablative, singular (used adverbially)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• संजय (Sañjaya)
• कर्ण (Karṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the kṣatriya ethos of direct engagement: when battle intensifies, a warrior may close distance and meet force with force. Ethically, it underscores resolve and readiness to confront danger without retreat, while also showing how warfare rapidly escalates beyond restraint.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Karṇa advances on an opponent who is already shooting missiles, and Karṇa responds by hurling weapons as he closes in, turning the exchange into close-range combat.