Shloka 15

भीष्मपातने कर्णविलापः | Karṇa’s Lament upon Seeing Bhīṣma Fallen

Devanagari script

कुरव: संत्रसिष्यन्ति वज़्पाणेरिवासुरा: । “आज गाण्डीवकी टंकार करनेवाले सव्यसाची अर्जुनके पराक्रमको जाननेवाले कौरव उनसे उसी प्रकार डरेंगे, जैसे वज्रधारी इन्द्रसे असुर भयभीत होते हैं ।। अद्य गाण्डीवमुक्ताना- मशनीनामिव स्वन:

Transliteration

kuravāḥ saṁtrasiṣyanti vajrapāṇer ivāsurāḥ | adya gāṇḍīvamuktānām aśanīnām iva svanaḥ ||

Translation

ସଞ୍ଜୟ କହିଲେ—ବଜ୍ରଧାରୀ ଇନ୍ଦ୍ରଙ୍କ ସମ୍ମୁଖରେ ଯେପରି ଅସୁରମାନେ କମ୍ପିଥାନ୍ତି, ସେପରି କୁରୁମାନେ ମଧ୍ୟ କମ୍ପିବେ। ଆଜି ଗାଣ୍ଡୀବରୁ ଛୁଟିଥିବା ବାଣମାନଙ୍କର ଗର୍ଜନ ବଜ୍ରନାଦ ସମ; ସେହି ନାଦ ସବ୍ୟସାଚୀ ଅର୍ଜୁନଙ୍କ ପରାକ୍ରମ ଘୋଷଣା କରି ଶତ୍ରୁହୃଦୟରେ ଭୟ ସଞ୍ଚାର କରିବ।

Word by Word

कुरवःthe Kurus (Kauravas)

संत्रसिष्यन्तिwill be terrified / will tremble

वज्रपाणेर्from the thunderbolt-handed one (Indra)

इवlike / as

असुराःthe Asuras (demons)

अद्यtoday / now

गाण्डीवमुक्तानाम्of those released from the Gāṇḍīva (arrows)

अशनीनाम्of thunderbolts

इवlike / as

स्वनःsound / roar

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Kurus (Kauravas)

Arjuna (Savyasācin)

Gāṇḍīva

Indra (Vajrapāṇi)

Asuras

Arrows

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 highlights how righteous strength and proven skill can decisively affect morale in war: Arjuna’s presence and the sound of his bow and arrows become a moral-psychological force, likened to Indra’s thunderbolt that overwhelms adversaries.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya, narrating to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, foretells that the Kaurava forces will be terrified upon witnessing Arjuna’s renewed onslaught; the sound of missiles from Gāṇḍīva is compared to thunderbolts, signaling imminent devastation for the Kurus.