Shloka 8

अध्याय ६० — कर्णस्य पाञ्चाल-सोमक-निग्रहः

Karna’s Suppression of the Panchala–Somaka Forces

Devanagari script

जिघांसन्तो नरव्याप्रा: समन्‍्तात्‌ तव वाहिनीम्‌ | अभ्यद्रवन्त संक्रुद्धा:समरे जितकाशिन:

Transliteration

jighāṃsanto naravyāprāḥ samantāt tava vāhinīm | abhyadravanta saṃkruddhāḥ samare jitakāśinaḥ || bhīmasenaḥ sātyakiḥ śikhaṇḍī janamejayaḥ balavān dhṛṣṭadyumnaś ca sarve prabhadrakagaṇāś ca—ete sarve puruṣasiṃhā vīrāḥ samarāṅgaṇe vijayenollasitāḥ krodhabharitāḥ tava senāṃ jighāṃsayantaḥ samantāt tām abhyapatanta ||

Translation

ते नरव्याघ्र वीर मारण्याच्या इच्छेने, क्रोधाने पेटून आणि रणात विजयाची आशा बाळगून, सर्व बाजूंनी तुमच्या सेनेवर तुटून पडले.

Word by Word

• जिघांसन्तः: wishing to kill
• जिघांसन्तः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु) → जिघांस् (desiderative stem)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, Present active participle (parasmaipada), desiderative sense

• नरव्याप्राः: tiger-like men, heroes
• नरव्याप्राः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर-व्याघ्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• समन्तात्: from all sides
• समन्तात्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्तात्

• तव: your
• तव: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• वाहिनीम्: army
• वाहिनीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाहिनी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• अभ्यद्रवन्त: ran towards, charged
• अभ्यद्रवन्त: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: द्रु (धातु) + अभि-
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• संक्रुद्धाः: enraged
• संक्रुद्धाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सं-क्रुध् (धातु) → संक्रुद्ध (PPP)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, Past passive participle

• समरे: in battle
• समरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: समर
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• जितकाशिनः: whose radiance is victorious / exulting in victory
• जितकाशिनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जित-काशिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīmasena (Bhīma)
• Sātyaki
• Śikhaṇḍin (Śikhaṇḍī)
• Janamejaya
• Dhṛṣṭadyumna
• Prabhadraka-gaṇa (Prabhadrakas)
• tava vāhinī (your army—Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s/Kaurava forces)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical ambiguity of war: even when warriors fight under a banner of justice or duty, their actions can be fueled by krodha (wrath) and the urge to kill. It implicitly warns that passions can overtake discernment, and that victory-mindedness may intensify violence beyond mere duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that leading Pāṇḍava-side champions—Bhīma, Sātyaki, Śikhaṇḍin, Janamejaya, Dhṛṣṭadyumna, and the Prabhadrakas—charge from all directions against the Kaurava army, emboldened and enraged, seeking to cut down the opposing host.