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Shloka 14

कर्णवधप्रसङ्गः / The Context of Karṇa’s Fall

Krishna’s Dharmic Recollection and the Decisive Astra

मृत्योरास्य॑ व्यात्तमिवाभिपद्य प्रभद्रका: कर्णमासाद्य राजन्‌ । रथांस्तु तान्‌ सप्तशतान्‌ निमग्नां- स्तदा कर्ण: प्राहिणोन्मृत्युसझ

mṛtyor āsyaṁ vyāttam ivābhipadya prabhadrakāḥ karṇam āsādya rājan | rathāṁs tu tān saptśatān nimagnāṁs tadā karṇaḥ prāhiṇon mṛtyulokaṁ rājan ||

О царь, прабхадраки, устремившись на Карну, словно входя в разверстую пасть самой Смерти, попали в тяжкое бедствие. Тогда Карна тотчас отправил тех семьсот колесничих воинов — как бы уже потонувших в море битвы — прямо в обитель Смерти.

मृत्योःof death
मृत्योः:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootमृत्यु
FormMasculine, Genitive, Singular
आस्यम्mouth
आस्यम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootआस्य
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
व्यात्तम्gaping, wide-open
व्यात्तम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootवि-आ-तन् (क्त)
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
इवas if, like
इव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइव
अभिपद्यhaving approached, reaching
अभिपद्य:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअभि-√पद्
FormAbsolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada
प्रभद्रकाःthe Prabhadrakas (warriors)
प्रभद्रकाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootप्रभद्रक
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
कर्णम्Karna
कर्णम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootकर्ण
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
आसाद्यhaving reached, encountering
आसाद्य:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootआ-√सद्
FormAbsolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada
राजन्O king
राजन्:
TypeNoun
Rootराजन्
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
रथान्chariots / chariot-warriors
रथान्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootरथ
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
तुbut, indeed
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
तान्those
तान्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
सप्तशतान्seven hundred
सप्तशतान्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootसप्तशत
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
निमग्नान्sunk, submerged
निमग्नान्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootनि-√मज्ज् (क्त)
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
तदाthen
तदा:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतदा
कर्णःKarna
कर्णः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootकर्ण
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
प्राहिणोत्sent forth, dispatched
प्राहिणोत्:
TypeVerb
Rootप्र-√हि (लुङ्)
FormAorist (Luṅ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada
मृत्युसङ्घम्to the host/realm of Death (death itself as a mass)
मृत्युसङ्घम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootमृत्युसङ्घ
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
राजन्O king
राजन्:
TypeNoun
Rootराजन्
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular

अजुन उवाच

K
Karna
P
Prabhadrakas
M
Mrityu (Death)
M
Mrityuloka (realm of Death)
C
chariots/chariot-warriors

Educational Q&A

The verse highlights the moral gravity of war: courage without discernment can become a headlong entry into death, and battlefield glory is inseparable from mortality and consequence.

The Prabhadrakas charge at Karna, likened to rushing into Death’s open mouth; Karna overwhelms them and dispatches seven hundred chariot-warriors to the realm of Death.