Shloka 14

Devanagari script

एवमुक्त्वा महाराज कर्ण पाण्डुसुतस्तदा । सुवर्णपुड्खैर्दशभिर्विव्याधायस्मयै: शरै:

Transliteration

evam uktvā mahārāja karṇa pāṇḍusutas tadā | suvarṇapuḍkhair daśabhir vivyādha āyasmyaiḥ śaraiḥ ||

Translation

एवमुक्त्वा महाराज पाण्डुसुतस्तदा । सुवर्णपुड्खैर्दशभिरायसैः शरैः कर्णं विव्याध ॥

Word by Word

एवम्thus

उक्त्वाhaving said

महाराजO great king

कर्णKarna

पाण्डुसुतःthe son of Pandu (Arjuna)

तदाthen

सुवर्णपुड्खैःwith golden-feathered (arrows)

दशभिःwith ten

विव्याधpierced

आयस्मयैःiron (made of iron)

शरैःwith arrows

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Karna

Arjuna (Pāṇḍusuta)

iron arrows

golden-fletched arrows

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 underscores the kṣatriya ethic that speech in war is immediately accountable to action: declarations and challenges are validated through disciplined, skillful execution, while the conflict’s moral tension lies in how duty and retaliation drive escalating violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

After a prior exchange of words, Arjuna (the son of Pāṇḍu) promptly attacks Karṇa, striking him with ten iron arrows adorned with golden fletching, as Sañjaya reports the unfolding duel to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra.