Shloka 48

कर्णपर्व — पञ्चदशोऽध्यायः | Karṇa Parva, Chapter 15: Pāṇḍya’s Advance and Aśvatthāmā’s Counterstroke

Devanagari script

पुन्द्रौर्णि महाशैलं नाराचैर्वज्संनिभै: । निर्बिभेद महावेगैस्त्वरन्‌ वज्रीव पर्वतम्‌

Transliteration

puṇḍrauṇi mahāśailaṃ nārācair vajrasaṃnibhaiḥ | nirbibheda mahāvegais tvaran vajrīva parvatam ||

Translation

सञ्जय उवाच—पुन्द्रौर्णिं महाशैलं नाराचैर्वज्रसन्निभैः। निर्बिभेद महावेगैस्त्वरन् वज्रीव पर्वतम्॥

Word by Word

• पुन्द्रौर्णिम्: Pundraurṇi (a person; here as the object/target)
• पुन्द्रौर्णिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुन्द्रौर्णि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• महाशैलम्: a great mountain
• महाशैलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाशैल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• नाराचैः: with iron arrows
• नाराचैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाराच
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• वज्र-संनिभैः: resembling a thunderbolt
• वज्र-संनिभैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वज्र-संनिभ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• निर्बिभेद: he pierced / split
• निर्बिभेद: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: भिद्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Singular

• महावेगैः: with great speed/force
• महावेगैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महावेग
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• त्वरन्: hastening
• त्वरन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्वर्
• Form: Śatṛ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वज्री: the thunderbolt-bearer (Indra)
• वज्री: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वज्रिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• पर्वतम्: a mountain
• पर्वतम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Puṇḍra
• Indra (Vajrī)
• Vajra (thunderbolt)
• Nārāca arrows
• Mountain (parvata/mahāśaila)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how, in the chaos of war, even what seems immovable (‘mountain-like’) can be shattered by concentrated force and skill. It implicitly cautions that physical might and steadfastness are not absolute protections when adharma-driven conflict escalates into overwhelming violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates a battlefield moment where a warrior (implied by context) rapidly strikes Puṇḍra with powerful nārāca arrows, comparing the action to Indra cleaving a mountain with the vajra.