Mahabharata 7.175.13 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 175, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

लब्धलक्ष्यस्तु राधेय: पञ्चालानां महारथान्‌ | अभ्यपीडयदायस्त: शरैमेंघ इवाचलम्‌

Transliteration

labdhalakṣyas tu rādheyaḥ pañcālānāṃ mahārathān | abhyapīḍayad āyastaḥ śaraiḥ megha ivācalam ||

Translation

लक्ष्य साधण्यात निष्णात राधेय कर्णाने पाञ्चालांच्या महारथींवर तीव्र दडपण आणू लागला. जसा मेघ पर्वतावर जलधारा ओततो, तसा तो प्रयत्नपूर्वक बाणांचा वर्षाव करून त्यांना पीडित करू लागला.

Word by Word

• लब्धलक्ष्यः: having obtained his aim/mark
• लब्धलक्ष्यः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लब्धलक्ष्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √लभ् + लक्ष्य)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• राधेयः: Radheya (Karna)
• राधेयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राधेय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पञ्चालानाम्: of the Panchalas
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चाल
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• महारथान्: great chariot-warriors
• महारथान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अभ्यपीडयत्: he afflicted/pressed hard
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पीड्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• आयस्तः: strenuously/with effort
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आयत (from √यम्; past passive participle used adverbially)

• शरैः: with arrows
• शरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• मेघः: a cloud
• मेघः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेघ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: like/as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• अचलम्: a mountain
• अचलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अचल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Rādheya (Karna)
• Pāñcālas
• mahārathas (great chariot-warriors)
• arrows (śara)
• cloud (megha)
• mountain (acala)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores how, in war, perfected skill and unwavering exertion can become overwhelming force; ethically, it invites reflection on the tension between kṣatriya duty (displaying prowess and resolve) and the suffering inflicted when such power is unleashed without respite.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Karna, now fully on target, relentlessly assails the leading Pāñcāla chariot-warriors, raining arrows upon them like a cloud pouring down on a mountain.