Mahabharata 7.3.20 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 3, Shloka 20

भीष्मपातने कर्णविलापः | Karṇa’s Lament upon Seeing Bhīṣma Fallen

Devanagari script

कपिथ्वजस्योत्यततो रथस्यामित्रकर्षिण:

Transliteration

kapidhvajasya udyatato rathasyāmitrakarṣiṇaḥ

Translation

സഞ്ജയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—കപിധ്വജധാരിയായ ശത്രുനിഗ്രഹവീരന്റെ രഥം മഹാവേഗത്തോടെ കുതിച്ചുയർന്ന് മുന്നോട്ട് പാഞ്ഞു…

Word by Word

• कपिध्वजस्य: of the monkey-bannered (Arjuna)
• कपिध्वजस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिध्वज
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• उद्यततः: of (him) who was raised/ready (for action)
• उद्यततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्-यत्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• रथस्य: of the chariot
• रथस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• अमित्रकर्षिणः: the enemy-subduing (one)
• अमित्रकर्षिणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमित्रकर्षिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• संजय (Sañjaya)
• कपिध्वज / अर्जुन (Kapidhvaja / Arjuna)
• रथ (chariot)
• कपिध्वज (monkey-banner; Hanumān emblem)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds the ideal of steadfast kṣatriya resolve: a righteous warrior advances without hesitation, embodying disciplined courage in the midst of dharma-yuddha.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya begins describing the forward surge of the monkey-bannered hero’s chariot—an image signaling Arjuna’s imminent engagement and the escalation of battle in the Droṇa Parva.