Shloka 42

धर्मरहस्योपदेशः

Dharma-rahasya Instruction: Vows, Truth, and Non-injury

Devanagari script

तं॑ कर्ण: पञ्चविंशत्या नाराचेन समार्पयत्‌ | मदोत्कटं वने दृप्तमुल्काभिरिव कुज्जरम्‌,कर्णने भीमसेनको पचीस नाराच मारे, मानो किसी शिकारीने वनमें दर्पयुक्त मदोन्मत्त गजराजपर उल्काओंद्वारा प्रहार किया हो

Transliteration

taṁ karṇaḥ pañcaviṁśatyā nārācena samārpayat | madotkaṭaṁ vane dṛptam ulkābhir iva kuñjaram ||

Translation

سنجے نے کہا—کرن نے پچیس نارाच تیروں سے اسے یوں چھید ڈالا، گویا جنگل میں غرور سے بھرے، مست ہاتھیوں کے سردار پر دہکتے ہوئے انگاروں کی لکڑیاں برسائی جا رہی ہوں۔

Word by Word

तम्him

कर्णःKarna

पञ्चविंशत्याwith twenty-five

नाराचेनwith an iron arrow (nārāca)

समार्पयत्struck/shot (lit. delivered, applied)

मदोत्कटम्fierce with rut/intoxication

वनेin the forest

दृप्तम्proud, haughty

उल्काभिःwith firebrands/meteors

इवas if/like

कुञ्जरम्elephant

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Karṇa

nārāca (arrow)

kuñjara (elephant)

ulka (firebrand)

vana (forest)

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 kṣatriya battlefield ethic: unwavering exertion and precision in combat, conveyed through a vivid simile. It also cautions that pride and uncontrolled force (symbolized by the rut-maddened elephant) invite intense counter-force.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Karṇa delivering a concentrated volley—twenty-five nārāca arrows—against his opponent, likening the assault to hurling firebrands at a proud, musth elephant in the forest.