Shloka 21

द्रौणि-पार्षतयोर्युद्धम् | The Duel of Aśvatthāmā

Drauṇi) and Dhṛṣṭadyumna (Pārṣata

Devanagari script

प्रगृह्ा च महाशक्ति कालशक्तिमिवापराम्‌ | समुत्क्षिप्प च राधेय: संधाय च महाबल:

Transliteration

pragṛhya ca mahāśaktiṃ kālaśaktim ivāparām | samutkṣipya ca rādhēyaḥ saṃdhāya ca mahābalaḥ ||

Translation

ସଞ୍ଜୟ କହିଲେ—ମହାବଳୀ ରାଧେୟ କର୍ଣ୍ଣ କାଳଶକ୍ତି ପରି ଅପରାଜେୟ ସେଇ ମହାଶକ୍ତିକୁ ଧରିଲେ। ତାହାକୁ ଉଚ୍ଚେ ଉଠାଇ ଲକ୍ଷ୍ୟ ସନ୍ଧାନ କରି ନିକ୍ଷେପ ପାଇଁ ପ୍ରସ୍ତୁତ ହେଲେ—ଯେନେ ଯୁଦ୍ଧ ନିର୍ଣ୍ଣାୟକ ଓ ଭୟଙ୍କର ମୁହୂର୍ତ୍ତକୁ ଆଗୁଆଁଉଛି।

Word by Word

प्रगृह्यhaving seized/taken up

चand

महाशक्तिम्the great spear/javelin

कालशक्तिम्Time’s spear / the spear of Death

इवlike, as if

अपराम्unmatched, unsurpassed

समुत्क्षिप्यhaving lifted/raised up

चand

राधेयःRadheya (Karna)

संधायhaving fixed/aimed (set on the target)

चand

महाबलःmighty/very strong

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Rādheya (Karṇa)

mahāśakti (great spear/javelin)

Kāla (Time/Death, as a force)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames martial action under the shadow of Kāla (Time/Death): even heroic strength and weapon-skill operate within an inexorable moral and existential horizon. It highlights how war compresses choice into moments where intent, consequence, and fate converge.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Karṇa taking up a powerful spear, lifting it, and carefully aiming—signaling an imminent, high-stakes throw that could decide the immediate encounter.