Shloka 39

धर्मरहस्योपदेशः

Dharma-rahasya Instruction: Vows, Truth, and Non-injury

Devanagari script

तस्य कर्णों धरनुर्मध्ये द्विधा चिच्छेद पत्रिभि: । अथीैनं छिन्नधन्वानं प्रत्यविध्यत्‌ स्तनान्तरे

Transliteration

tasya karṇo dhanuḥmadhye dvidhā ciccheda patribhiḥ | athainaṃ chinnadhanvānaṃ pratyavidhyat stanāntare ||

Translation

అప్పుడు కర్ణుడు పదునైన బాణాలతో అతని ధనుస్సును మధ్యలోనే రెండుగా చీల్చెను. ధనుస్సు తెగి నిలిచిన ఆ యోధుని కర్ణుడు మరల వక్షమధ్యంలో బాణంతో పొడిచెను.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, singular

• कर्णः: Karna
• कर्णः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• धनुः: bow
• धनुः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस्
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

• द्विधा: into two (parts)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्विधा

• चिच्छेद: cut / severed
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद्
• Form: perfect (liṭ), 3rd, singular, parasmaipada

• पत्रिभिः: with arrows (feathered shafts)
• पत्रिभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्रिन्
• Form: masculine, instrumental, plural

• अथ: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• एनम्: him
• एनम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद् (एनद्-प्रत्ययान्त सर्वनाम)
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• छिन्नधन्वानम्: one whose bow was cut (bowless)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: छिन्नधन्वन्
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• प्रत्यविध्यत्: pierced / struck
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्यध्
• Form: imperfect (laṅ), 3rd, singular, parasmaipada

• स्तनान्तरे: in the space between the breasts (in the chest)
• स्तनान्तरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तन-अन्तर
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• संजय (Sañjaya)
• कर्ण (Karṇa)
• धनुः (bow)
• पत्रि (arrows)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension between kṣatriya prowess and the ethical weight of warfare: technical excellence (cutting the bow) quickly becomes lethal action (piercing the chest), reminding the reader that skill in battle carries grave moral and human consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Karṇa severs his opponent’s bow at the midpoint with arrows, effectively disarming him, and then immediately counter-strikes, piercing the now bowless warrior in the chest between the breasts.