Mahabharata 7.177.52 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 177, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

ततो मायाविनं कर्णो भीमसेनसुतं दिवि

Transliteration

tato māyāvinaṃ karṇo bhīmasenasutaṃ divi

Translation

Sañjaya berkata: Kemudian Karṇa melihat di langit putera Bhīmasena yang mahir ilusi (māyā)—suatu petanda suram bahawa pertempuran ini tidak akan ditentukan oleh kekuatan semata-mata, tetapi juga oleh helah dan kuasa luar biasa.

Word by Word

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः
• Form: Avyaya (ablatival adverb: 'from there/then')

• मायाविनम्: the deceitful/illusion-using one
• मायाविनम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मायाविन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• भीमसेनसुतम्: the son of Bhimasena
• भीमसेनसुतम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीमसेन-सुत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दिवि: in the sky
• दिवि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Karṇa
• Bhīmasena (Bhīma)
• Bhīmasena’s son (Bhīmasenasuta)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The line highlights that in war, outcomes are shaped not only by physical prowess but also by māyā—deception, tactics, and extraordinary means—raising ethical tension between straightforward valor and strategic cunning.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Karṇa sees Bhīma’s son, described as māyāvin (illusion-wielding), appearing aloft in the sky—signaling an imminent encounter where unusual powers or deceptive tactics may influence the battle.