Shloka 31

अमोघशक्तिव्यंसनप्रश्नः — Why Karṇa’s Śakti Was Not Used on Arjuna

Devanagari script

एतत्‌ कृत्वा महत्‌ कर्म रणे5द्भुतपराक्रम:

Transliteration

etat kṛtvā mahat karma raṇe 'dbhuta-parākramaḥ

Translation

ସଞ୍ଜୟ କହିଲେ—ରଣରେ ଏହି ମହାକର୍ମ ସାଧି, ଅଦ୍ଭୁତ ପରାକ୍ରମ ପ୍ରଦର୍ଶନ କରି, ସେ ଯୋଦ୍ଧା ଅସାଧାରଣ ସାମର୍ଥ୍ୟରେ ବିଶିଷ୍ଟ ହୋଇ ଦେଖାଦେଲା—ଯେପରି ଯୁଦ୍ଧହିଂସାର ପ୍ରବାହରେ ଏକ ନିର୍ଣ୍ଣାୟକ କ୍ଷଣ ଅଙ୍କିତ ହେଲା।

Word by Word

• एतत्: this (deed)
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here)

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

• कर्म: deed, act
• कर्म: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• अद्भुतपराक्रमः: of wondrous valor
• अद्भुतपराक्रमः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अद्भुत-पराक्रम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how a single powerful action in war can become morally and narratively weighty: heroic prowess (parākrama) is celebrated, yet it is framed as karma—an act whose consequences shape the larger ethical arc of the epic.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya, narrating events to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, describes a warrior who has just performed a major feat on the battlefield, characterized by extraordinary valor; the line functions as a transition emphasizing the magnitude of the deed before the next development.