Shloka 666

Adhyāya 141 — Night duels: Śaineya and Bhūriśravas; Droṇi and Ghaṭotkaca; Bhīma and Duryodhana

Devanagari script

आपतत्तीं महोल्काभां चिच्छेद दशभि: शरै: । कर्ण कुछ थक-सा गया था, तो भी उसने बहुत बड़ी उल्काके समान अपनी ओर आती हुई उस सुवर्णभूषित शक्तिको दस बाणोंसे काट दिया

Transliteration

āpatattīṁ maholkābhāṁ ciccheda daśabhiḥ śaraiḥ |

Translation

सञ्जय उवाच—आपतन्तीं महोल्काभां चिच्छेद दशभिः शरैः। कर्णोऽपि श्रान्त इवाभूत्, तथापि सुवर्णभूषितां शक्तिं महोल्कासमप्रभामापतन्तीं दशभिः शरैश्चिच्छेद॥

Word by Word

आपतन्तीम्falling/coming down (towards him)

महोत्काभाम्having the splendor of a great meteor

चिच्छेदcut asunder

दशभिःwith ten

शरैःwith arrows

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Karṇa

śara (arrows)

maholkā (great meteor-like blaze)

śakti (spear/missile weapon; implied by context)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

In the war-ethic of the Mahābhārata, a kṣatriya must meet danger with steadiness and competence; fatigue is real, yet duty demands alertness and disciplined action when violence is already in motion.

What is happening in the narrative?

A powerful, meteor-like weapon (described as a great blazing projectile) rushes toward Karṇa. Despite being tired, he intercepts it and cuts it apart with ten arrows, preventing it from striking him.