Shloka 8

Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 58 — Arjuna’s Arrow-Storm and Relief of Bhīmasena

Devanagari script

विजयं च धनु: श्रेष्ठ विधुन्वानो महारथ:

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | vijayaṃ ca dhanuḥ-śreṣṭhaṃ vidhunvāno mahārathaḥ | tataḥ mahārathī karṇaḥ svam “vijaya”-nāma śreṣṭhaṃ dhanuḥ kampayitvā dhṛṣṭadyumnasya dhanuḥ viṣadhara-sarpa-sadṛśān viṣailān bāṇān api chittvā | punaḥ krodhaṃ samāviśya nava-bāṇaiḥ dhṛṣṭadyumnam api vyathayat ||

Translation

സഞ്ജയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—മഹാരഥനായ കർണ്ണൻ തന്റെ പ്രസിദ്ധമായ ‘വിജയ’ എന്ന ശ്രേഷ്ഠധനുസ്സിനെ കുലുക്കി ധൃഷ്ടദ്യുമ്നന്റെ ധനുസ്സും വിഷധരസർപ്പസമാനമായ വിഷബാണങ്ങളും വെട്ടിവീഴ്ത്തി. പിന്നെ ക്രോധാവേശത്തോടെ കർണ്ണൻ ഒമ്പത് ശരങ്ങളാൽ ധൃഷ്ടദ്യുമ്നനെ വ്രണപ്പെടുത്തി.

Word by Word

• विजयम्: victory (name/thing called ‘Vijaya’)
• विजयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विजय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• धनुः: bow
• धनुः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• श्रेष्ठम्: excellent, best
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• विधुन्वानः: shaking, brandishing
• विधुन्वानः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: विधुन्वत् (धातु: धुन्/धुन्व् + वि)
• Form: Present participle (Parasmaipada), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महारथः: great chariot-warrior
• महारथः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Karna
• Dhṛṣṭadyumna
• Vijaya (Karna’s bow)
• bow (Dhṛṣṭadyumna’s)
• poisonous arrows
• serpent (as simile)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how extraordinary skill (śaurya and astravidyā) can become ethically perilous when driven by krodha (wrath). In the battlefield setting of kṣatriya-dharma, prowess is expected, yet the narrative also signals the moral cost of anger-fueled escalation—where the aim shifts from contest to crushing the opponent.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna, wielding his celebrated bow Vijaya, overwhelms Dhṛṣṭadyumna: he severs Dhṛṣṭadyumna’s bow and cuts down even the venom-like arrows, then in anger shoots Dhṛṣṭadyumna with nine arrows, injuring him.