Mahabharata 7.141.4 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 141, Shloka 4

Adhyāya 141 — Night duels: Śaineya and Bhūriśravas; Droṇi and Ghaṭotkaca; Bhīma and Duryodhana

Devanagari script

स कुण्डलं महच्चारु कर्णस्यापातयद्‌ भुवि | तपनीयं महाराज दीप्तं ज्योतिरिवाम्बरात्‌,महाराज! भीमने कर्णके सोनेके बने हुए विशाल एवं सुन्दर कुण्डलको आकाशसे चमकते हुए तारेके समान पृथ्वीपर काट गिराया

Transliteration

sa kuṇḍalaṁ mahac cāru karṇasyāpātayad bhuvi | tapanīyaṁ mahārāja dīptaṁ jyotir ivāmbarāt ||

Translation

Sanjaya berkata: Wahai Raja, Bhima menebas jatuh ke bumi subang Karna yang besar dan indah—diperbuat daripada emas tulen—bersinar laksana bintang terang yang gugur dari langit.

Word by Word

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

• कुण्डलम्: earring
• कुण्डलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्डल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• महत्: great, large
• महत्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• चारु: beautiful
• चारु: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चारु
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कर्णस्य: of Karna
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• अपातयत्: caused to fall, felled
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत्
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada, Parasmaipada

• भुवि: on the ground
• भुवि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• तपनीयम्: made of gold
• तपनीयम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तपनीय
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• महाराज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• दीप्तम्: shining, blazing
• दीप्तम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीप्त
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular, Past passive participle (kta)

• ज्योतिः: a light, a luminary
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्योतिस्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

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

• अम्बरात्: from the sky
• अम्बरात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बर
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (mahārāja)
• Karṇa
• kuṇḍala (earring)
• gold (tapanīya)
• sky (ambara)
• earth (bhū)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the impermanence of external splendor and the sudden reversal of fortune in war: ornaments that symbolize prestige can be severed instantly, reminding the listener that worldly glory is fragile when violence and rivalry dominate.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the midst of battle, a warrior strikes off Karṇa’s large, beautiful golden earring, and it falls to the ground, gleaming like a star dropping from the sky, as Sañjaya reports the event to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra.