Mahabharata 7.154.4 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 154, Shloka 4

घटोत्कच-कर्णयुद्धम्

Ghaṭotkaca–Karna Combat and the Release of Śakti

Devanagari script

मिषतां योधमुख्यानां सैन्धवो विनिपातित: । उस समय आपके पुत्र दुर्योधनने कर्णसे इस प्रकार कहा--'कर्ण! देखो

Transliteration

miṣatāṁ yodhamukhyānāṁ saindhavo vinipātitaḥ | paśya rādhēya pṛthvīśāḥ pṛthivyāṁ pravarā yudhi ||

Translation

Sinabi ni Sañjaya: Sa harap mismo ng mga pangunahing mandirigma, ang hari ng Sindhu (Jayadratha) ay napatumba. Masdan mo, O Rādheya (Karna): maging ang pinakamahuhusay na hari sa lupa—tanyag sa digmaan—ay nakatayo lamang at nasaksihan ito.

Word by Word

• मिषताम्: of (those) looking on
• मिषताम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मिषत् (√मिष्)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• योधमुख्यानाम्: of the chief warriors
• योधमुख्यानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: योधमुख्य
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• सैन्धवः: the Sindhu-king (Jayadratha)
• सैन्धवः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैन्धव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विनिपातितः: felled / struck down
• विनिपातितः: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विनि-√पत् (विनिपातित)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Karna (Rādheya)
• Jayadratha (Saindhava, Sindhu-king)
• chief warriors (yodhamukhyāḥ)
• kings (pṛthvīśāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical and psychological truth that reputation and numbers do not guarantee protection in war; decisive action can overturn the confidence of even ‘foremost’ warriors. It also implies accountability: great fighters are not merely actors but witnesses to outcomes that expose the limits of pride and the force of destiny.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Jayadratha, the Sindhu-king, has been killed in full view of the leading Kaurava warriors. The address to Karna (“Rādheya”) frames the event as a shocking reversal meant to be noticed by the battlefield’s most renowned kings and champions.