Shloka 77

Devanagari script

शरोत्तमान्‌ सम्प्रहितान्‌ महारथै- श्रिच्छेद पार्थ: प्रहसन्‌ शरौचै: । भूयश्व तानहनद्‌ बाणसड्घान्‌ गाण्डीवधन्वायतपूर्णमण्डल:

Transliteration

śarottamān samprahitān mahārathaiḥ śiccheda pārthaḥ prahasan śaraughaiḥ | bhūyaś ca tān ahanad bāṇa-saṅghān gāṇḍīva-dhanvāyata-pūrṇa-maṇḍalaḥ ||

Translation

Karna berkata: “Anak-anak panah terbaik yang dilepaskan oleh para maharathi Kaurava telah dipatahkan oleh Partha (Arjuna), sambil tersenyum, ketika dia menyambutnya dengan hujan anak panahnya sendiri. Berkali-kali dia menghentam gugusan panah itu; dengan Gāṇḍīva ditarik sepenuhnya hingga melengkung seperti bulatan sempurna, dia berulang-ulang menurunkan rentetan panah ke atas bala Kaurava yang memusuhi.”

Word by Word

• शर-उत्तमान्: the best arrows
• शर-उत्तमान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरोत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• सम्प्रहितान्: shot/loosed
• सम्प्रहितान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-प्र-हिता (√हि/धा in passive sense 'sent/placed')
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• महारथैः: by the great chariot-warriors
• महारथैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• श्रीच्छेद: cut asunder
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रीच्छेद (√छिद्)
• Form: Perfect (Parasmaipada), 3rd, Singular

• पार्थः: Partha (Arjuna)
• पार्थः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रहसन्: laughing
• प्रहसन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-हस् (√हस्)
• Form: Present participle, Parasmaipada, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शर-ओघैः: with torrents/hosts of arrows
• शर-ओघैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरौघ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• भूयः: again, repeatedly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस्

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

• तान्: those (arrows)
• तान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अहनत्: struck, smote
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हन्
• Form: Imperfect, 3rd, Singular

• बाण-सङ्घान्: masses of arrows
• बाण-सङ्घान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाणसङ्घ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• गाण्डीव-धन्वा: the wielder of the Gandiva bow
• गाण्डीव-धन्वा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गाण्डीवधन्वन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• आयत-पूर्ण-मण्डलः: whose (bow) when drawn formed a full circle
• आयत-पूर्ण-मण्डलः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आयतपूर्णमण्डल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कौरव-महारथैः: by the Kaurava great chariot-warriors
• कौरव-महारथैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौरवमहारथ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Karna
• Arjuna (Partha, son of Kunti)
• Gāṇḍīva (bow)
• Kaurava warriors (mahārathas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights kṣatriya discipline: skill joined with steadiness of mind. Arjuna’s smiling composure amid danger suggests mastery over fear and anger, using strength with controlled intent rather than panic—an ethical ideal for warriors in the epic.

What is happening in the narrative?

During the Karṇa Parva battle, Kaurava great warriors unleash excellent arrows. Arjuna counters by cutting them down with dense arrow-streams and then repeatedly showers volleys, drawing the Gāṇḍīva to its full arc, overwhelming the opposing forces.