Shloka 41

उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय १४० (कृष्णेन कर्णं प्रति पाण्डवबल-वैशिष्ट्यप्रदर्शनम्) / Udyoga Parva, Chapter 140

Krishna’s appraisal of Pandava advantage and war portents

Devanagari script

इषवोत्र परिस्तोमा मुक्ता गाण्डीवधन्चना । महारथप्रयुक्ताश्च द्रोणद्रौणिप्रचोदिता:

Transliteration

iṣavo 'tra paristomā muktā gāṇḍīvadhanvanā | mahāratha-prayuktāś ca droṇa-drauṇi-pracoditāḥ ||

Translation

Карна сказал: «Здесь тучи стрел — выпущенных густо, в кольцевых, охватывающих построениях — летят от носителя Гāндивы (Арджуны). Это снаряды великого колесничего воина, и под понуждением Дроны и сына Дроны (Ашваттхамана) они всё более усиливаются».

Word by Word

• इषवः: arrows
• इषवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: इषु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• उत: and/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत

• परिस्तोमाः: volleys (lit. surrounding showers/streams)
• परिस्तोमाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिस्तोम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• मुक्ताः: released/shot
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुच्
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• गाण्डीवधन्वना: by the wielder of Gāṇḍīva (Arjuna)
• गाण्डीवधन्वना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गाण्डीवधन्वन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• महारथप्रयुक्ताः: discharged by great chariot-warriors
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महारथप्रयुक्त
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• द्रोणद्रौणिप्रचोदिताः: impelled by Droṇa and Droṇi (Aśvatthāman)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्रोणद्रौणिप्रचोदित
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Karna
• Arjuna
• Gāṇḍīva
• Droṇa
• Aśvatthāman (Drauṇi)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights that extraordinary power and technique in war are ethically charged: when great skill is urged on by authoritative figures, it can either serve dharma or intensify harm. It invites reflection on accountability—of the warrior who acts, and of the mentors who incite.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna describes the battlefield moment: Arjuna, wielding the Gāṇḍīva, releases dense, surrounding volleys of arrows. Karna notes these are the actions of a mahāratha and says the assault is being spurred on by Droṇa and Aśvatthāman.