Shloka 20

Devanagari script

स शक्रचापप्रतिमेन धन्‍्वना भूशायतेनाधिरथि: शरान्‌ सृजन्‌ | बभौ रणे दीप्तमरीचिमण्डलो यथांशुमाली परिवेषवांस्तथा

Transliteration

sa śakracāpapratimena dhanvanā bhūśāyatenādhirathiḥ śarān sṛjan | babhau raṇe dīptamarīcimaṇḍalo yathāṃśumālī pariveṣavāṃs tathā ||

Translation

สัญชัยกล่าวว่า—ด้วยคันธนูใหญ่ดุจรุ้งของพระอินทร์ บุตรแห่งอธิรถะคือกรรณะ แม้ล้มแนบพื้นก็ยังระดมยิงศรเป็นห่าฝน. ในสนามรบเขาส่องประกายดุจสุริยะ ผู้มีวงรัศมีและแสงอันเจิดจ้าโอบล้อม.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शक्रचापप्रतिमेन: with (a bow) comparable to Indra's bow (rainbow)
• शक्रचापप्रतिमेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्रचापप्रतिम
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• धन्वना: with a bow
• धन्वना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन्वन्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• भूशायतेन: stretched/extended along the ground (i.e., very large, laid out)
• भूशायतेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूशायित
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• अधिरथिः: the son of Adhiratha (Karna)
• अधिरथिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधिरथि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शरान्: arrows
• शरान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• सृजन्: releasing, discharging
• सृजन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज्
• Form: Present (Shatru participle), Singular

• बभौ: shone, appeared splendid
• बभौ: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: भा
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• दीप्तमरीचिमण्डलः: having a circle/orb of blazing rays
• दीप्तमरीचिमण्डलः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीप्तमरीचिमण्डल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यथा: as, just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• अंशुमाली: the Sun (lit. ray-garlanded)
• अंशुमाली: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंशुमालिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• परिवेषवान्: possessing a halo (pariveṣa)
• परिवेषवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परिवेषवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तथा: so, likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Karna (Adhirathaputra/Adhirathi)
• Indra (Śakra)
• Indra’s bow (rainbow)
• Sun (Aṃśumālī)
• Pariveṣa (solar halo)
• Battlefield (raṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the paradox of war: extraordinary valor and radiance can coexist with a morally fraught setting. Karna’s splendor is portrayed as sunlike, suggesting that personal excellence and steadfastness may persist even when the larger enterprise (battle) is ethically complex and shadowed by fate.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Karna, though brought down to the ground, continues to fight fiercely—releasing showers of arrows with a bow likened to Indra’s rainbow. His presence on the battlefield appears dazzling, compared to the sun surrounded by a luminous halo.