Shloka 14

Devanagari script

तदनन्तर उस महायुद्धमें फटते हुए पर्वत और गर्जते हुए मेघके समान उसके रथका गम्भीर घोष प्रकट हुआ ।।

Transliteration

tataḥ śaraśataiḥ tīkṣṇaiḥ karṇa ākārṇaniḥsṛtaiḥ | jaghāna pāṇḍavabalaṃ śataśo 'tha sahasraśaḥ ||

Translation

ਤਦੋਂ ਕਰ্ণ ਨੇ ਕੰਨ ਤੱਕ ਖਿੱਚ ਕੇ ਛੱਡੇ ਹੋਏ ਸੈਂਕੜੇ ਤਿੱਖੇ ਬਾਣਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਪਾਂਡਵ-ਬਲ ਉੱਤੇ ਵਾਰ ਕੀਤਾ; ਸੈਂਕੜਿਆਂ ਅਤੇ ਹਜ਼ਾਰਾਂ ਯੋਧੇ ਮਾਰੇ ਗਏ।

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: Avyaya

• शरशतैः: with hundreds of arrows
• शरशतैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर-शत (शर + शत)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• तीक्ष्णैः: sharp
• तीक्ष्णैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीक्ष्ण
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural (agreeing with शरशतैः)

• कर्णः: Karna
• कर्णः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• आकर्णनिःसृतैः: shot up to the ear (fully drawn and released)
• आकर्णनिःसृतैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आकर्ण-निःसृत (आकर्ण + नि:सृत)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural (agreeing with शरशतैः)

• जघान: struck, slew
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (√हन्)
• Form: Perfect, Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular

• पाण्डवबलम्: the Pandava army
• पाण्डवबलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव-बल (पाण्डव + बल)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• शतशः: by hundreds
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शतशस्
• Form: Avyaya

• अथ: and then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ
• Form: Avyaya

• सहस्रशः: by thousands
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहस्रशस्
• Form: Avyaya

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Karna
• Pāṇḍava army (Pāṇḍava-bala)
• arrows (śara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical tension of kṣatriya-dharma: extraordinary martial skill can be ‘right’ within the warrior code, yet it produces immense suffering. It invites reflection on how duty, ambition, and rage in war rapidly magnify harm.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Karṇa unleashes volleys of fully drawn, sharp arrows and devastates the Pāṇḍava forces, killing fighters in vast numbers—signaling a fierce surge in the battle’s intensity.