Shloka 4

Devanagari script

पूर्व हि निर्जित: कर्णो भीमसेनेन संयुगे । कथं भूय: स राधेयो भीममागान्महारथ:,भीमसेनने युद्धमें जब राधानन्दन महारथी कर्णको पहले ही जीत लिया था, तब वह पुनः उनका सामना करनेके लिये कैसे आया?

Transliteration

pūrva hi nirjitaḥ karṇo bhīmasenena saṃyuge | kathaṃ bhūyaḥ sa rādheyo bhīmam āgān mahārathaḥ ||

Translation

సంజయుడు పలికెను—కర్ణుడు ముందే సంగ్రామంలో భీమసేనునిచే ఓడించబడ్డాడు; అట్లుండగా ఆ రాధేయ మహారథుడు మళ్లీ భీముని ఎదుర్కొనడానికి ఎలా వచ్చాడు?

Word by Word

पूर्वम्formerly, earlier

हिindeed, for

निर्जितःconquered, defeated

कर्णःKarna

भीमसेनेनby Bhimasena

संयुगेin battle

कथम्how?

भूयःagain, once more

सःhe

राधेयःRadheya (son of Radha), Karna

भीमम्Bhima

आगात्came, approached

महारथःthe great chariot-warrior

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Karna

Bhīmasena (Bhīma)

Rādhā

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?

The verse highlights the warrior-ethic of returning to the field despite prior defeat: valor is measured not only by victory but by steadfastness, resolve, and willingness to face a formidable opponent again within one’s perceived duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya, narrating the battle to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, expresses surprise: although Bhīma had earlier overcome Karṇa in combat, Karṇa (called Rādheya) nevertheless comes again to meet Bhīma in battle, prompting the question of how this renewed confrontation occurs.