Mahabharata 7.155.38 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 155, Shloka 38

Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 155 — Ghaṭotkaca-nidhana-śoka and Karṇa-śakti-vyaya

Kṛṣṇa’s strategic reassurance

Devanagari script

स तेनाकर्णमुक्तेन विद्धो बाणेन कौरव:

Transliteration

sa tenākarṇamuktena viddho bāṇena kauravaḥ

Translation

संजय म्हणाला—कानापर्यंत ताणून सोडलेल्या त्या बाणाने विद्ध होऊन तो कौरव योद्धा भेदला गेला; रणक्रोधात कौशल्य व दृढनिश्चय क्षणातच निर्णायक घाव ठरतो.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तेन: by that (one/it)
• तेन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• आकर्णमुक्तेन: released up to the ear (fully drawn and shot)
• आकर्णमुक्तेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आकर्णमुक्त
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• विद्धः: pierced, struck
• विद्धः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (व्यध्/विध्) धातु; कृदन्त: विद्ध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• बाणेन: by an arrow
• बाणेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• कौरवः: the Kaurava (prince)
• कौरवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौरव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Kaurava
• arrow (bāṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the immediacy of consequences in war: when power and precision are applied without restraint, injury follows at once—highlighting the ethical weight carried by martial prowess in a dharmic conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports that a Kaurava fighter is pierced by an arrow shot at full draw (ākarṇamukta), indicating a highly forceful, expertly released missile in the midst of the Drona Parva battle.