Shloka 41

उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय १४० (कृष्णेन कर्णं प्रति पाण्डवबल-वैशिष्ट्यप्रदर्शनम्) / Udyoga Parva, Chapter 140

Krishna’s appraisal of Pandava advantage and war portents

Devanagari script

इषवोत्र परिस्तोमा मुक्ता गाण्डीवधन्चना । महारथप्रयुक्ताश्च द्रोणद्रौणिप्रचोदिता:

Transliteration

iṣavo 'tra paristomā muktā gāṇḍīvadhanvanā | mahāratha-prayuktāś ca droṇa-drauṇi-pracoditāḥ ||

Translation

कर्ण म्हणाला—इथे गाण्डीवधारी अर्जुनाने दाट, सर्व बाजूंनी वेढा घालणाऱ्या रचनेत बाणांची वर्षा सोडली आहे. हे महारथीने चालविलेले अस्त्र असून द्रोणाचार्य व द्रोणपुत्र अश्वत्थामाच्या प्रेरणेने त्यांचा वेग अधिकच वाढत आहे.

Word by Word

इषवःarrows

उतand/also

परिस्तोमाःvolleys (lit. surrounding showers/streams)

मुक्ताःreleased/shot

गाण्डीवधन्वनाby the wielder of Gāṇḍīva (Arjuna)

महारथप्रयुक्ताःdischarged by great chariot-warriors

चand

द्रोणद्रौणिप्रचोदिताःimpelled by Droṇa and Droṇi (Aśvatthāman)

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

Karna

Arjuna

Gāṇḍīva

Droṇa

Aśvatthāman (Drauṇi)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights that extraordinary power and technique in war are ethically charged: when great skill is urged on by authoritative figures, it can either serve dharma or intensify harm. It invites reflection on accountability—of the warrior who acts, and of the mentors who incite.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna describes the battlefield moment: Arjuna, wielding the Gāṇḍīva, releases dense, surrounding volleys of arrows. Karna notes these are the actions of a mahāratha and says the assault is being spurred on by Droṇa and Aśvatthāman.