Shloka 5

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

Devanagari script

शिरांस्युन्मथ्य वीराणां शितैर्भल्लैर्धनंजय: । पूर्णचन्द्रा भवकत्राणि स्वक्षिभ्रदूशनानि च

Transliteration

śirāṁsy unmathya vīrāṇāṁ śitaiḥ bhallair dhanaṁjayaḥ | pūrṇacandrābhavakatrāṇi svakṣibhradūṣaṇāni ca

Translation

शिरांस्युन्मथ्य वीराणां शितैर्भल्लैर्धनंजयः । पूर्णचन्द्रा भवकत्राणि स्वक्षिभ्रदूशनानि च ॥

Word by Word

शिरांसिheads

उन्मथ्यhaving churned up / having torn off / having wrenched out

वीराणाम्of heroes/warriors

शितैःwith sharp

भल्लैःarrows (bhalla-type shafts)

धनंजयःDhanañjaya (Arjuna)

पूर्णचन्द्राणिfull-moon-like

भवकत्राणिhelmets/armour-pieces (reading uncertain)

स्वक्षिभ्रदूषणानिeye-ornaments/eye-protectors (reading uncertain)

चand

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)

bhalla arrows

helmets/head-protectors

eye-guards/visors

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?

The verse highlights the harsh reality of righteous warfare in the epic: extraordinary skill and resolve, when exercised as a warrior’s duty, can be terrifyingly effective. It invites reflection on the ethical weight of violence even when performed under the banner of dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Arjuna’s battlefield prowess: using sharp bhalla arrows, he severs warriors’ heads and breaks their shining, round helmets and eye-protectors, depicting the intensity and destructiveness of the combat.