Shloka 16

कर्णसेनापत्यारम्भः — Karṇa’s Appointment and the Report to Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Chapter 1

Devanagari script

ततः शत्रुक्षयं कृत्वा सुमहान्तं रणे वृष: । पश्यतां धार्तराष्ट्राणां फाल्गुनेन निपातित:

Transliteration

tataḥ śatrukṣayaṃ kṛtvā sumahāntaṃ raṇe vṛṣaḥ | paśyatāṃ dhārtarāṣṭrāṇāṃ phālgunena nipātitaḥ ||

Translation

پھر میدانِ جنگ میں دشمنوں کا نہایت بڑا قَتلِ عام کر کے وہ بیل جیسے دلیر، دھارتراشٹروں کی آنکھوں کے سامنے ہی فالگُن (ارجن) کے ہاتھوں گرا دیا گیا۔

Word by Word

ततःthen/thereupon

शत्रुक्षयम्destruction of enemies

कृत्वाhaving done/made

सुमहान्तम्very great

रणेin battle

वृषःthe bull (heroic epithet; here: Karna)

पश्यताम्of those watching / while (they) watched

धार्तराष्ट्राणाम्of the Dhārtarāṣṭras (sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra)

फाल्गुनेनby Phālguna (Arjuna)

निपातितःwas felled/struck down

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Phālguna (Arjuna)

Dhārtarāṣṭras (Kauravas)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical gravity of warfare: even a celebrated hero who causes massive enemy losses can be brought down, and such a fall—witnessed by one’s own side—serves as a moral and strategic warning about the limits of mere martial prowess and the consequences of aligning with adharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

After inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy in the midst of battle, a bull-like (foremost) warrior is felled by Phālguna (Arjuna) in full view of the Dhārtarāṣṭras (the Kaurava forces).