Shloka 22

कर्णपुत्रवधः (The Fall of Vṛṣasena) — Karṇa Parva, Adhyāya 62

Devanagari script

(हते हास्मिन्‌ ध्रुवं पार्थ: स्वाञ्जेष्यति नो रथान्‌ | तस्मिन्‌ हि धार्तराष्ट्रस्य निहते तु ध्रुवी जय: ।।

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

hate hāsmin dhruvaṃ pārthaḥ svāñ jeṣyati no rathān |

tasmin hi dhārtarāṣṭrasya nihate tu dhruvī jayaḥ ||

dhvajo 'sau dṛśyate tasya rocamāno 'ṃśumān iva |

enaṃ jahi mahābāho kiṃ te hatvā yudhiṣṭhiram ||

śaṅkhayor dhyāyatoḥ śabdaḥ sumahān eṣa kṛṣṇayoḥ ||

Translation

Санджая сказал: «Если будет убит этот, Партха (Арджуна) несомненно одолеет всех наших колесничих-воителей. Но если будет убит Арджуна, тогда победа сына Дхритараштры (Дурьодханы) станет неизбежной. Смотри — виден его стяг, сияющий, как солнце. Порази его, о могучерукий; какая тебе выгода убивать Юдхиштхиру? И вот поднимается великий гул — раскатистый звук раковин двух Кришн (Кришны и Арджуны), когда они устремляют помыслы к битве.»

Word by Word

• हते: when (he is) slain
• हते: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: past passive participle, masculine, locative, singular

• ह: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह

• अस्मिन्: in this (one/person)
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: masculine, locative, singular

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव

• पार्थः: Arjuna (son of Pritha)
• पार्थः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• स्वान्: our own
• स्वान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• जेष्यति: will conquer
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि
• Form: simple future (luṭ), 3rd, singular, parasmaipada

• नः: of us/our
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: genitive, plural

• रथान्: chariots (chariot-warriors)
• रथान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• तस्मिन्: when he/that one (is)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine, locative, singular

• हि: for/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• धार्तराष्ट्रस्य: of the son of Dhritarashtra
• Type: Noun
• Root: धार्तराष्ट्र
• Form: masculine, genitive, singular

• निहते: when (he is) slain
• निहते: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-हन्
• Form: past passive participle, masculine, locative, singular

• तु: but
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• ध्रुवी: certain/assured
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्रुव
• Form: feminine, nominative, singular

• जयः: victory
• जयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जय
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Arjuna (Pārtha)
• Duryodhana (Dhārtarāṣṭra)
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Kṛṣṇa
• Arjuna (as one of the ‘two Kṛṣṇas’)
• Arjuna’s banner (dhvaja)
• conches (śaṅkha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a pragmatic wartime calculus: the outcome is framed as hinging on Arjuna’s survival. It also shows how leaders and counselors prioritize decisive targets over symbolic or emotionally satisfying kills, revealing the ethical strain where victory is pursued through strategic elimination rather than righteous proportionality.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports counsel given on the battlefield: Arjuna is identified as the pivotal warrior whose death would secure Duryodhana’s victory. Arjuna’s radiant banner is spotted as a battlefield marker, and the speaker urges focusing on Arjuna rather than killing Yudhiṣṭhira. The scene is punctuated by the thunderous conch-sound of Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, signaling renewed engagement.