Shloka 40

Aśvatthāman’s Arrow-Screen and the Confrontation with Yudhiṣṭhira (द्रौणि–युधिष्ठिर-संग्रामः)

Devanagari script

गौर्यो बृहत्यो निर््लीका मद्रिका: कम्बलावृता:,इति श्रीमहाभारते कर्णपर्वणि कर्णमद्राधिपसंवादे चत्वारिंशो5ध्याय:

Transliteration

gauryō bṛhatyō nirlīkā madrikāḥ kambalāvṛtāḥ | iti śrīmahābhārate karṇaparvaṇi karṇa-madrādhipa-saṃvāde catvāriṃśo 'dhyāyaḥ ||

Translation

“వారు గౌరవర్ణులు, దేహంలో విశాలులు, మలినరహితులు—కంబళాలతో కప్పబడిన మద్రదేశ స్త్రీలు.” ఇట్లు శ్రీమహాభారత కర్ణపర్వంలో కర్ణుడు–మద్రాధిపతి సంభాషణలో నలభైవ అధ్యాయం సమాప్తం.

Word by Word

गौर्यःfair/white (f.)

बृहत्यःgreat/large (f.)

निर्लीकाःspotless/without blemish (f.)

मद्रिकाःwomen of Madra / Madrā ladies

कम्बलावृताःcovered with blankets

इतिthus

श्रीमहाभारतेin the venerable Mahābhārata

कर्णपर्वणिin the Karṇa-parvan

कर्णमद्राधिपसंवादेin the dialogue of Karṇa and the lord of Madra

चत्वारिंशःfortieth

अध्यायःchapter

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

Karna

Madrādhipa (king/lord of Madra)

Madra (region/people)

kambala (blanket)

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?

Even in the midst of conflict, speech that reduces people to external markers (appearance, origin, clothing) can harden prejudice and cruelty; ethical discernment requires restraint, empathy, and awareness of how words shape attitudes.

What is happening in the narrative?

This line occurs within the Karṇa–Madrādhipa dialogue and is followed by a chapter-ending colophon; Karṇa is describing Madra women with a set of attributes, and the text then marks the close of the chapter/section.