Shloka 7

Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 58 — Arjuna’s Arrow-Storm and Relief of Bhīmasena

Devanagari script

तयोरासीन्महाराज संग्रामो लोमहर्षण: । धृष्टय्युम्नस्तु राधेयं शरेणानतपर्वणा

Transliteration

tayor āsīn mahārāja saṅgrāmo lomaharṣaṇaḥ | dhṛṣṭadyumnas tu rādheyaṃ śareṇānataparvaṇā ||

Translation

Санджая сказал: о царь, между ними вспыхнула битва, от которой волосы вставали дыбом. Затем Дхриштадьюмна (Dhṛṣṭadyumna) поразил Радхею (Rādheya — Карну) стрелой с неразломанными сочленениями, и тем ещё усилил грозное столкновение двух витязей.

Word by Word

• तयोः: of those two
• तयोः: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Dual

• आसीत्: was
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Imperfect, 3rd, Singular

• महाराज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• संग्रामः: battle
• संग्रामः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: संग्राम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• लोमहर्षणः: hair-raising, thrilling
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोमहर्षण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धृष्टद्युम्नः: Dhrishtadyumna
• धृष्टद्युम्नः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृष्टद्युम्न
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• राधेयम्: Radheya (Karna)
• राधेयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राधेय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• शरेण: with an arrow
• शरेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• अनतपर्वणा: having unbent joints (i.e., straight-jointed)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनतपर्वन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Dhṛṣṭadyumna
• Rādheya (Karna)
• arrow (śara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the Mahābhārata’s ethic of kṣatriya confrontation: when rival champions meet, the conflict becomes intense and consequential, and each act (like a well-aimed arrow) carries moral and strategic weight within the larger dharmic crisis of the war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that a terrifying duel has erupted between Dhṛṣṭadyumna and Karna, and that Dhṛṣṭadyumna strikes Karna with a powerful, firm arrow, marking a sharp moment in their direct engagement.