Shloka 223

कृष्णोपदेशः, अर्जुनस्य क्षमा-याचनम्, कर्णवध-अनुज्ञा

Krishna’s Counsel, Arjuna’s Apology, and Authorization for Karṇa’s Slaying

Devanagari script

आसीदू रौद्रो महाराज कर्णपाण्डवयोर्मधे । प्रजानाथ! महाराज! युद्धस्थलमें कर्ण और भीमसेनका वह संघर्ष घोर, रौद्र और अत्यन्त भयंकर था

Transliteration

āsīd raundro mahārāja karṇa-pāṇḍavayor madhye | prajānātha! mahārāja! yuddhasthale karṇa-bhīmasenayor ayaṃ saṅgharṣo ghoraḥ raudraś cātyanta-bhayaṅkara āsīt ||

Translation

സഞ്ജയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—മഹാരാജാ, പ്രജാനാഥാ! യുദ്ധഭൂമിയിൽ കർണ്ണനും ഭീമസേനനും തമ്മിലുള്ള ആ ഏറ്റുമുട്ടൽ ഘോരവും രൗദ്രവും അത്യന്തം ഭയാനകവുമായിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), 3, Singular

• रौद्रः: fierce, terrible
• रौद्रः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• कर्णपाण्डवयोः: of Karna and the Pandava
• कर्णपाण्डवयोः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण + पाण्डव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Dual

• मध्ये: in the middle, between
• मध्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Karna
• Bhīmasena (Bhīma)
• battlefield (Kurukṣetra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the destructive intensity of war: when duty and rivalry collide, the battlefield becomes a space where anger (raudra) dominates, reminding readers that even ‘righteous’ warfare can devolve into terrifying violence that tests moral restraint.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the encounter between Karṇa and Bhīma on the battlefield has become extremely fierce and dreadful, highlighting a climactic, close-quarters struggle between two foremost warriors.