Shloka 28

Adhyāya 8: Saṃprahāra-varṇana and Bhīma–Kṣemadhūrti Dvipa-Yuddha

Combat Description and Elephant Duel

Devanagari script

शोकार्णवे निमग्नो5हं भिन्ना नौरिव सागरे | जो पराक्रमशाली

Transliteration

śokārṇave nimagno ’haṃ bhinnā naur iva sāgare | taṃ vṛṣaṃ nihataṃ śrutvā dvairathe rathināṃ varam ||

Translation

Вайшампаяна сказал: «Я погрузился в океан скорби, словно ладья, разбитая посреди моря. Услышав, что Вриша (Карна)—лучший из колесничих воинов—пал от руки Савьясачина Арджуны в поединке колесниц, я сокрушён горем».

Word by Word

• शोक-अर्णवे: in the ocean of grief
• शोक-अर्णवे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शोक-अर्णव
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• निमग्नः: sunk, immersed
• निमग्नः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निमग्न
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम्
• Form: Nominative, Singular

• भिन्ना: broken, shattered
• भिन्ना: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भिन्न
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• नौः: boat
• नौः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नौ
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: as if, like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• सागरे: in the sea
• सागरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सागर
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वृषम्: the bull (best of men)
• वृषम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• निहतम्: slain
• निहतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निहत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund)

• द्वे-रथे: in the two-chariot duel
• द्वे-रथे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विरथ
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• रथिनाम्: of chariot-warriors
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथिन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• वरम्: the best
• वरम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Karna (Vṛṣa)
• Arjuna (Savyasācī)
• sea (sāgara)
• boat (nauḥ)
• two-chariot duel (dvairatha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds the ethical weight of war: even the fall of a celebrated warrior becomes a moral and emotional catastrophe, reminding the listener that victory in battle carries profound human cost and grief.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports his reaction upon hearing that Karna—praised as the best among chariot-fighters—has been killed by Arjuna in a direct chariot-duel; he describes his sorrow through the image of a boat breaking apart in the open sea.