Shloka 17

कर्णपरर्वणि त्रयोचत्वारिंशदध्यायः (Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 43) — Kṛṣṇa’s Battlefield Assessment and the Reversal Around Bhīma

Devanagari script

शतद्रुकामहं तीर्त्वा तां च रम्यामिरावतीम्‌

Transliteration

śatadrukām ahaṃ tīrtvā tāṃ ca ramyām irāvatīm

Translation

Кarna сказал: «Переправившись через реку Шатадру (Śatadrū), я переправился и через прекрасную Иравати (Irāvatī)». Вспоминая эти переправы, Карна вызывает образ тяжёлого движения воинов через воды — и священные, и стратегически важные, — знак решимости и неуклонного наступления под нравственной тяжестью войны.

Word by Word

• शतद्रुकाम्: the (river) Śatadru
• शतद्रुकाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शतद्रु (नदी-नाम)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Nominative, Singular

• तीर्त्वा: having crossed
• Type: Verb
• Root: तॄ (तरणे)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Active, —

• ताम्: that (river)
• ताम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• रम्याम्: beautiful, delightful
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• इरावतीम्: the (river) Irāvatī
• इरावतीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: इरावती (नदी-नाम)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Karna
• Śatadrū (river)
• Irāvatī (river)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights steadfastness and forward movement in the midst of conflict: a warrior’s determination is shown through enduring difficult crossings, while the mention of rivers also hints at the sacred and consequential terrain over which dharma and adharma contend.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna is speaking and recounting his passage across two rivers—Śatadrū and the beautiful Irāvatī—situating his actions within a broader account of travel, campaigning, or strategic movement during the war.