Mahabharata 7.141.73 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 141, Shloka 73

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

Devanagari script

शत्रुघ्नं समरे क्रुद्धों दृढज्यं वेगवत्तरम्‌ । व्यायच्छत्‌ स शरान्‌ कर्ण: कुन्तीपुत्रजिघांसया

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

śatrughnaṃ samare kruddho dṛḍhajyam vegavattaram |

vyāyacchat sa śarān karṇaḥ kuntīputrajighāṃsayā |

sahasraśo mahārāja rukmapuṅkhān sutejanān ||

Translation

Sañjaya berkata: Dalam pertempuran, Karṇa yang murka—berniat membunuh putera Kuntī—menegangkan busurnya yang bertali kukuh, malah lebih pantas, lalu, wahai Raja, memasang ribuan anak panah setajam pisau dengan bulu keemasan, menghala kepadanya.

Word by Word

• शत्रुघ्नम्: Shatrughna (enemy-slayer; here the warrior named Shatrughna)
• शत्रुघ्नम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत्रुघ्न
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• क्रुद्धः: angry
• क्रुद्धः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रुद्ध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दृढज्यम्: having a firm bowstring (i.e., a strong-bowed one)
• दृढज्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृढज्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वेगवत्तरम्: more swift / very swift
• वेगवत्तरम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेगवत्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• व्यायच्छत्: he took up / he grasped / he held
• व्यायच्छत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: यम् (यच्छति)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular

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

• शरान्: arrows
• शरान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

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

• कुन्तीपुत्रजिघांसया: with the desire to kill the son of Kunti
• कुन्तीपुत्रजिघांसया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुन्तीपुत्र-जिघांसया
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• सहस्रशः: by thousands / in thousands
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहस्रशस्
• Form: true

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

• रुक्मपुङ्खान्: golden-fletched
• रुक्मपुङ्खान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुक्मपुङ्ख
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• सुतेजनान्: very sharp / well-honed
• सुतेजनान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुतेजन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Karṇa
• Kuntīputra (son of Kuntī)
• Śatrughna (as a name/epithet)
• bow (dhanus)
• arrows (śara)
• golden fletching (rukmapuṅkha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how anger (krodha) and a fixed intent to kill can intensify conflict: martial excellence becomes ethically perilous when driven by wrath and personal vendetta rather than restraint and dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Karṇa, furious in the thick of battle, stringing a powerful, swift bow and aiming thousands of sharp, gold-fletched arrows at Kuntī’s son, determined to slay him.