Shloka 27

Bhīmasena–Drauṇi Mahāyuddha

Chariot Duel and Astra-Exchange

Devanagari script

उद्धृतश्न भवेच्छल्यो मम द्वादशवार्षिक: । एवं ज्ञात्वा महाबाहो व्यूहं व्यूह यथेच्छसि,“इस सेनामें एकमात्र महाधनुर्धर सूतपुत्र कर्ण विराजमान है, जो रथियोंमें श्रेष्ठ है तथा जिसे देवता, असुर, गन्धर्व, किन्नर, बड़े-बड़े नाग एवं चराचर प्राणियोंसहित तीनों लोकोंके लोग मिलकर भी नहीं जीत सकते। महाबाहु फाल्गुन! आज उसी कर्णको मारकर तुम्हारी विजय होगी और मेरे हृदयमें बारह वर्षोंसे जो सेल कसक रहा है, वह निकल जायगा। महाबाहो! ऐसा जानकर तुम्हारी जैसी इच्छा हो, वैसे व्यूहकी रचना करो”

Transliteration

uddhṛtaśna bhavec chalyo mama dvādaśavārṣikaḥ | evaṁ jñātvā mahābāho vyūhaṁ vyūha yathecchasi ||

Translation

ସଞ୍ଜୟ କହିଲେ—“ତେବେ ବାରୋ ବର୍ଷ ଧରି ମୋ ହୃଦୟରେ ଗାଢ଼ିଥିବା ଶଲ୍ୟ ଉଠିଯିବ। ଏହା ଜାଣି, ମହାବାହୋ, ତୁମ ଇଚ୍ଛାମତେ ବ୍ୟୂହ ରଚ।”

Word by Word

उद्धृतःpulled out, extracted

शल्यःthorn; (here) the pain/ache like a thorn

भवेत्would be / may become

ममof me, my

द्वादशtwelve

वार्षिकःof (so many) years' duration; annual/years-old

एवम्thus

ज्ञात्वाhaving known

महाबाहोO mighty-armed one

व्यूहम्battle-array, formation

व्यूहarrange, form (the array)

यथाas, according to

इच्छसिyou desire, you wish

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Arjuna (Phālguna, implied by mahābāho in the cited Hindi context)

vyūha (battle formation)

śalya (thorn, metaphor)

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 warfare not merely as force but as purposeful action guided by clear understanding: once the decisive aim is recognized (removing a long-standing inner ‘thorn’ of grief), one should act with resolve and arrange means (vyūha) accordingly—highlighting the ethical weight of intention and the psychological stakes behind strategic choices.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Karṇa Parva context, the speaker expresses that a twelve-year-old pain in the heart will be relieved once the crucial opponent is overcome, and urges the hero addressed as ‘mahābāhu’ to deploy whatever battle-formation he deems fit, emphasizing imminent decisive combat and tactical preparation.