Shloka 33

अलंबलवधः (Alaṃbala-vadhaḥ) / The Slaying of Alaṃbala and the Advance toward Karṇa

Devanagari script

प्रत्युवाच महातेजा: कालयुक्तमिदं वच: । सव्यसाची अर्जुनके ऐसा कहनेपर महातेजस्वी महाबाहु केशवने उनसे यह समयोचित वचन कहा-- |। अलमेष महाबाहु: कणणयैकोडपि पाण्डव

Transliteration

pratyuvāca mahātejāḥ kālayuktam idaṃ vacaḥ | savyasācī arjunakeśavaḥ … | alam eṣa mahābāhuḥ karṇayā ekodapi pāṇḍavaḥ |

Translation

సంజయుడు అన్నాడు—అప్పుడు మహాతేజస్వి కేశవుడు కాలానుగుణమైన మాట పలికాడు—“హే మహాబాహూ, చాలు; కర్ణునికి ఎదురుగా ఒక్క పాండవుడే సరిపోతాడు.”

Word by Word

प्रत्युवाचreplied / spoke in return

महातेजाःthe very radiant one

कालयुक्तम्timely / appropriate to the time

इदम्this

वचःspeech / words

सव्यसाचीAmbidextrous (Arjuna)

अर्जुनO Arjuna

एषःthis (man) / he

कहनेHindi text (not Sanskrit): 'saying'

परHindi text (not Sanskrit): 'upon/after'

महातेजस्वीthe very radiant one

महाबाहुःthe mighty-armed one

केशवःKeshava (Krishna)

तेभ्यःto them

एतत्this

समयोचितम्appropriate to the occasion

वचनम्statement / words

कहाHindi text (not Sanskrit): 'said'

अलम्enough! / stop!

एषthis (man) / he

महाबाहुःthe mighty-armed one

कर्णेनby Karna

एकःalone / single

अपिeven / also

पाण्डवO Pandava (Arjuna)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Arjuna (Savyasācī)

Kṛṣṇa (Keśava)

Karṇa

Pāṇḍava(s)

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?

Timely speech and strategic reassurance are part of righteous action in crisis: a leader steadies a wavering warrior by focusing on what is sufficient and necessary, preventing fear or overcomplication from weakening resolve.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates that after Arjuna speaks, Keśava (Kṛṣṇa) answers with words suited to the moment, reassuring him about facing Karṇa—emphasizing that even one capable Pāṇḍava can be enough, thereby strengthening Arjuna’s confidence and readiness.