Mahabharata — Karna Parva, Shloka 3

Adhyāya 8: Saṃprahāra-varṇana and Bhīma–Kṣemadhūrti Dvipa-Yuddha

Combat Description and Elephant Duel

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच श्रुत्वा कर्णस्य निधनमश्रद्धेयमिवाद्भधुतम्‌ । भूतसम्मोहनं भीम॑ मेरो: संसर्पणं यथा

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | śrutvā karṇasya nidhanam aśraddheyam ivādbhutam | bhūta-sammohanaṁ bhīmaṁ meroḥ saṁsarpaṇaṁ yathā ||

Translation

ବୈଶମ୍ପାୟନ କହିଲେ—ହେ ରାଜନ୍! କର୍ଣ୍ଣଙ୍କ ନିଧନ ଶୁଣି ତାହା ଅଦ୍ଭୁତ, ପ୍ରାୟ ଅବିଶ୍ୱସନୀୟ ଲାଗିଲା। ସେ ଭୟଙ୍କର ଘଟଣା ସମସ୍ତ ପ୍ରାଣୀଙ୍କୁ ଏମିତି ମୋହରେ ପକାଇଦେଲା, ଯେପରି ମେରୁ ପର୍ବତ ନିଜ ସ୍ଥାନ ଛାଡ଼ି ଅନ୍ୟତ୍ର ସରିଯାଏ।

Word by Word

• वैशम्पायनः: Vaiśampāyana
• वैशम्पायनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैशम्पायन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada

• कर्णस्य: of Karṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• निधनम्: death, destruction
• निधनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: निधन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अश्रद्धेयम्: unbelievable
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अश्रद्धेय
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• इव: as if, like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• अद्भुतम्: wonderful, astonishing
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अद्भुत
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• भूतसम्मोहनम्: bewilderment of beings; that which deludes all creatures
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतसम्मोहन
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• भीमम्: terrible, dreadful
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीम
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• मेरोः: of (Mount) Meru
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेरु
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• संसर्पणम्: moving away, shifting, creeping movement
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसर्पण
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• यथा: just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Karṇa
• Mount Meru

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even the mightiest fall; when a pillar of power collapses, it feels like the cosmic order itself has shifted. The verse highlights impermanence and the moral-psychological shock that follows great violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes the reaction to the news of Karṇa’s death: it is received as an almost impossible, world-upending event, likened to Mount Meru moving from its fixed place.