Shloka 71

Devanagari script

शरवृष्टिं च तां कर्णो दूरात्‌ प्राप्तामशातयत्‌ । दृष्टवा च विहतां मायां कर्णेन भरतर्षभ

Transliteration

śaravṛṣṭiṁ ca tāṁ karṇo dūrāt prāptām aśātayat | dṛṣṭvā ca vihatāṁ māyāṁ karṇena bharatarṣabha ||

Translation

शरवृष्टिं च तां कर्णो दूरात् प्राप्तामशातयत् । दृष्ट्वा च विहतां मायां कर्णेन भरतर्षभ ॥

Word by Word

शरवृष्टिम्shower of arrows

चand

ताम्that

कर्णःKarna

दूरात्from afar

प्राप्ताम्having come/arrived

अशातयत्he destroyed/repelled

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

चand

विहताम्struck down/destroyed

मायाम्illusion/magic

कर्णेनby Karna

भरतर्षभO bull among the Bharatas

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Karna

Bharatarṣabha (Dhṛtarāṣṭra as addressee)

śaravṛṣṭi (shower of arrows)

māyā (stratagem/illusion)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

In the battlefield ethic of the epic, steadfast skill and presence of mind can neutralize deceptive tactics; the verse highlights how disciplined martial competence (kṣātra-tejas) can overcome an opponent’s māyā (stratagem).

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Karṇa, even from a distance, breaks an incoming barrage of arrows; seeing his device/illusion thwarted by Karṇa, the attacker’s stratagem is effectively defeated.