Shloka 9

Devanagari script

शिखण्डिनं षड़्भिरविध्यदुग्रो धार्शद्युम्ने: स शिरश्नोच्चकर्त । तथाभिनत्‌ सुतसोम॑ शरेण सुसंशितेनाधिरथिमीहात्मा

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

śikhaṇḍinaṃ ṣaḍbhir avidhyad ugro dhārṣṭadyumneḥ sa śiraś noccakarta |

tathābhinat sutasomaṃ śareṇa su-saṃśitena adhirathim īhātmā ||

Translation

แล้วกรรณะผู้ดุดันได้ยิงศรหกดอกแทงศิขัณฑิน และตัดศีรษะบุตรของธฤษฏทยุมน์ให้ขาด ในกระแสการบุกเดียวกัน บุตรแห่งอธิรถะผู้มีใจสูงก็ยังทำให้สุตโสมะบาดเจ็บด้วยศรที่ลับคมยิ่ง

Word by Word

• शिखण्डिनम्: Shikhandin
• शिखण्डिनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिखण्डिन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• षड्भिः: with six
• षड्भिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षष्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• अविध्यत्: pierced
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्यध्
• Form: Imperfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• उग्रः: the fierce one
• उग्रः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उग्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धार्ष्टद्युम्नेः: of Dhrishtadyumna
• Type: Noun
• Root: धार्ष्टद्युम्न
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

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

• शिरः: head
• शिरः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• न्यउच्चकर्त: cut off
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्कृत्
• Form: Imperfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तथा: also/likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• अभिनत्: struck/afflicted
• Type: Verb
• Root: नद्
• Form: Imperfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सुतसोमम्: Sutasoma
• सुतसोमम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुतसोम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• शरेण: with an arrow
• शरेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• सुसंशितेन: well-sharpened
• सुसंशितेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुसंशित
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• अधिरथिम्: the chariot-warrior (opponent)
• अधिरथिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधिरथि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ईहात्मा: one whose nature is effort/enterprise (energetic-minded)
• ईहात्मा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईहात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Karṇa (Ādhirathi, son of Adhiratha)
• Śikhaṇḍin
• Dhṛṣṭadyumna
• Dhṛṣṭadyumna’s son (unnamed here)
• Sutasoma
• arrows (śara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the grim efficiency of war: martial excellence can achieve swift results, yet it also intensifies the moral weight of battlefield actions. In the Mahābhārata’s ethical horizon, such scenes invite reflection on how kṣatriya duty, personal prowess, and the human cost of violence collide.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Karṇa strikes Śikhaṇḍin with six arrows, decapitates Dhṛṣṭadyumna’s son, and then wounds Sutasoma with a very sharp arrow—depicting Karṇa’s rapid succession of lethal feats in the ongoing Kurukṣetra battle.