Shloka 21

धनंजय-दुर्योधन-संग्रामः

Arjuna–Duryodhana Engagement and Admonition

Devanagari script

उपासज्रादुपादाय कर्णो बाणानथापरान्‌ | विव्याध पाण्डवं हस्ते तस्य मुष्टिरशीर्यत,तब कर्णने (अलग रखे हुए) छोटे तरकससे दूसरे बाण लेकर पाण्डुनन्दन अर्जुनके हाथमें चोट पहुँचायी। इससे उनकी मुट्ठी ढीली पड़ गयी

Transliteration

upāsajrad upādāya karṇo bāṇān athāparān | vivyādha pāṇḍavaṁ haste tasya muṣṭir aśīryata ||

Translation

Disse Vaiśampāyana: Karṇa aproximou-se, tomou outras flechas e feriu a mão do Pāṇḍava. Com aquele golpe, sua pegada afrouxou.

Word by Word

• उपासज्रात्: he took up / seized
• उपासज्रात्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-आ-सृज्
• Form: लुङ् (aorist), परस्मैपद, 3, singular

• उपादाय: having taken
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-आ-दा
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund)

• कर्णः: Karna
• कर्णः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• बाणान्: arrows
• बाणान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• अथ: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• अपरान्: other (ones)
• अपरान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• विव्याध: he pierced / struck
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-व्यध्
• Form: लिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद, 3, singular

• पाण्डवम्: the Pandava (Arjuna)
• पाण्डवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• हस्ते: in the hand
• हस्ते: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्त
• Form: masculine, locative, singular

• तस्य: of him / his
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, singular

• मुष्टिः: fist / grip
• मुष्टिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुष्टि
• Form: feminine, nominative, singular

• अशीर्यत्: became loosened / gave way
• Type: Verb
• Root: शॄ (शीर्यते)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect), आत्मनेपद, 3, singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Karṇa
• Pāṇḍava (Arjuna)
• arrows (bāṇa)
• hand (hasta)
• grip/fist (muṣṭi)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a battlefield ethic where skill and tactical targeting (disabling an opponent’s weapon-holding hand) can decide outcomes. It reflects kṣatriya-dharma’s emphasis on prowess and strategy, while also inviting reflection on how war prioritizes victory over gentler virtues.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karṇa closes in, takes additional arrows, and shoots the Pāṇḍava (understood here as Arjuna) in the hand, causing his grip to slacken—an attempt to impair his ability to hold weapons and continue fighting effectively.