Mahabharata 7.136.22 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 136, Shloka 22

Chapter 136: Pandava Counter-Encirclement and the Vāyavya-Astra Disruption

Devanagari script

आस्थित: प्रबभौ राजन्‌ दीप्यमान इवांशुमान्‌ । नरेश्वर! दुर्मुखके मारे जानेपर कर्ण उसी रथपर बैठकर देदीप्यमान सूर्यके समान प्रकाशित होने लगा ।।

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

āsthitaḥ prababhau rājan dīpyamāna ivāṃśumān |

śayānaṃ bhinnamarmāṇaṃ durmukhaṃ śoṇitokṣitam |

dīrghamuṣṇaṃ śvasan vīro na kiṃcit pratyapadyata |

Translation

สัญชัยกล่าวว่า—ข้าแต่พระราชา กรรณะนั่งมั่นอยู่บนรถศึก เปล่งรัศมีดุจดวงอาทิตย์อันลุกโชน แต่ครั้นเห็นทุรมุขนอนแน่นิ่งบนพื้น มรรมหักพัง เลือดชโลมทั่วกาย วีรบุรุษนั้นก็ถอนลมหายใจยาวร้อนผ่าว และมิอาจตั้งใจตัดสินสิ่งใดได้

Word by Word

• आस्थितः: having mounted / having taken position
• आस्थितः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-स्था (धातु) → आस्थित (कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle, used adjectivally)

• प्रबभौ: shone forth
• प्रबभौ: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: भा (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• दीप्यमानः: shining, blazing
• दीप्यमानः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीप् (धातु) → दीप्यमान (कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, शानच् (present participle, आत्मनेपद)

• इव: like, as if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• अंशुमान्: the sun (the radiant one)
• अंशुमान्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंशुमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शयानम्: lying (down)
• शयानम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शी (धातु) → शयान (कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular, शानच् (present participle, आत्मनेपद)

• भिन्नमर्माणम्: whose vital points were pierced/broken
• भिन्नमर्माणम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भिन्न (कृदन्त) + मर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दुर्मुखम्: Durmukha (proper name)
• दुर्मुखम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• शोणितोक्षितम्: sprinkled/soaked with blood
• शोणितोक्षितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शोणित (प्रातिपदिक) + उक्षित (कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दीर्घम्: long
• दीर्घम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीर्घ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• उष्णम्: hot, warm
• उष्णम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• श्वसन्: breathing
• श्वसन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्वस् (धातु) → श्वसत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, शतृ (present active participle)

• वीरः: the hero
• वीरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• किञ्चित्: anything, at all
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किञ्चित्

• प्रत्यपद्यत: resolved/decided; regained composure (lit. attained back)
• प्रत्यपद्यत: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-√पद् (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Karṇa
• Durmukha
• Sun (Āṃśumān)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the tension between martial duty and human compassion: even in righteous or obligatory warfare, the sight of a fallen, blood-soaked warrior can suspend resolve, revealing grief and moral weight within kṣatriya action.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Karṇa shining on his chariot like the sun, then immediately shows Karṇa’s reaction upon seeing Durmukha lying with vital points shattered and drenched in blood; Karṇa breathes heavily and cannot decide on his next action for a time.