Shloka 54

अध्याय ९ — कर्णस्य प्रहारः, योधयुग्मनियोजनम्, शैनेय-कैकेययोर्युद्धविन्यासः

Devanagari script

विमुज्चन्तं शरान्‌ घोरान्‌ दिव्यान्यस्त्राणि चाहवे । जेतुं पुरुषशार्दूलं शार्टूलमिव वेगिनम्‌,सिंहके समान वेगशाली पुरुषसिंह कर्ण जब अपना विशाल धनुष कँपाता हुआ युद्धस्थलमें दिव्यास्त्र तथा भयंकर बाण छोड़ रहा हो, उस समय उसे कौन जीत सकता था?

Transliteration

vimuñcantaṃ śarān ghorān divyāny astrāṇi cāhave | jetuṃ puruṣaśārdūlaṃ śārdūlam iva veginam | siṃhake samāna-vegāśālī puruṣasiṃhaḥ karṇaḥ yadā svaṃ vipulaṃ dhanuḥ kampayan raṇabhūmau divyāstrāṇi ca bhayaṅkarān bāṇān ca vimuñcati, tadā taṃ kaḥ jetuṃ śaknoti?

Translation

ବୈଶମ୍ପାୟନ କହିଲେ—ଯେତେବେଳେ ପୁରୁଷସିଂହ କର୍ଣ୍ଣ, ବ୍ୟାଘ୍ରସମ ବେଗବାନ ଓ ସିଂହସମ ପରାକ୍ରମୀ, ନିଜ ମହାଧନୁକୁ କମ୍ପାଇ ରଣଭୂମିରେ ଘୋର ଶର ବିମୋଚନ କରୁଥିଲେ ଏବଂ ଦିବ୍ୟାସ୍ତ୍ର ପ୍ରୟୋଗ କରୁଥିଲେ, ସେତେବେଳେ ତାଙ୍କୁ କିଏ ପରାଜିତ କରିପାରିଥାନ୍ତା?

Word by Word

विमुञ्चन्तम्releasing, discharging

शरान्arrows

घोरान्terrible

दिव्यानिdivine

अस्त्राणिmissiles, weapons

चand

आहवेin battle

जेतुम्to conquer

पुरुषशार्दूलम्the tiger among men (hero)

शार्दूलम्a tiger

इवlike, as

वेगिनम्swift, impetuous

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Karṇa

arrows (śara)

divine weapons (divyāstra)

bow (dhanuḥ)

battlefield (raṇabhūmi/āhava)

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 the awe inspired by extraordinary power in war—especially when a warrior commands divine weapons—while implicitly reminding the reader that apparent invincibility in battle does not erase the ethical weight of violence or the larger forces (vows, destiny, dharma) that shape outcomes in the Mahābhārata.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes Karṇa in peak combat form: he shakes his great bow and showers the battlefield with fearsome arrows and celestial missiles. The narration is a rhetorical praise meant to convey that, at that moment, defeating Karṇa seemed nearly impossible.