Shloka 17

Nārada’s Account of the Kaliṅga Svayaṃvara: Duryodhana’s Seizure and Karṇa’s Escort

Devanagari script

कर्णस्तेषामापततामेकैकेन शरेण ह । धनूंषि च शरब्रातान्‌ पातयामास भूतले

Transliteration

karṇas teṣām āpatatām ekaikena śareṇa ha | dhanūṃṣi ca śarabrātān pātayāmāsa bhūtale ||

Translation

ते धावून येताच कर्णाने एकेका बाणाने एकेकाला साधून त्यांच्या धनुष्यांसह बाणांचे गाठोडे भूमीवर पाडले।

Word by Word

• कर्णः: Karna
• कर्णः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• आपतताम्: of those who were rushing/attacking
• आपतताम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: आपत् (आ + पत्)
• Form: Present active participle, Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• एकैकेन: with each single (one by one)
• एकैकेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकैक
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• शरेण: with an arrow
• शरेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• ह: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह

• धनूंषि: bows
• धनूंषि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

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

• शरव्रातान्: clusters/volleys of arrows
• शरव्रातान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरव्रात
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• पातयामास: caused to fall / felled
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (causative: पातयति)
• Form: Perfect (periphrastic), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• भूतले: on the ground
• भूतले: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतल
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Karṇa
• arrows (śara)
• bows (dhanus)
• bundles of arrows (śarabrāta)
• earth/ground (bhūtala)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of mastery and decisiveness in battle: superior skill can neutralize opponents swiftly, often by disarming them, demonstrating controlled power rather than mere slaughter.

What is happening in the narrative?

As multiple foes rush forward, Karṇa shoots each attacker with a single arrow, knocking down their bows and arrow-sheaves onto the ground, effectively disabling their ability to fight.