Shloka 56

कर्णनिधनश्रवणम् — Hearing of Karṇa’s Fall and Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Lament

Devanagari script

यथा स्कन्देन महिषो यथा रुद्रेण चान्धक: । तथार्जुनेन स हतो द्वैरथे युद्धदुर्मद:

Transliteration

yathā skandena mahiṣo yathā rudreṇa cāndhakaḥ | tathārjunena sa hato dvairathe yuddha-durmadaḥ ||

Translation

سنجے نے کہا—جس طرح اسکند (کارتیکیہ) نے مہیشاسُر کو قتل کیا اور جس طرح رُدر نے اندھک کا سنہار کیا، اسی طرح رتھوں کے دوئل میں جنگ کے غرور سے مدہوش وہ یودھا ارجن کے ہاتھوں مارا گیا۔

Word by Word

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

• स्कन्देन: by Skanda
• स्कन्देन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• महिषः: the buffalo-demon (Mahisha)
• महिषः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• रुद्रेण: by Rudra
• रुद्रेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अन्धकः: Andhaka (the demon)
• अन्धकः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्धक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तथा: so, in the same way
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• अर्जुनेन: by Arjuna
• अर्जुनेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुन
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

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

• हतः: killed, slain
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• द्वैरथे: in the chariot-duel
• द्वैरथे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वैरथ
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• युद्ध-दुर्मदः: maddened by battle (battle-intoxicated)
• युद्ध-दुर्मदः: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युद्धदुर्मद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Skanda (Kārttikeya)
• Mahīṣa/Mahiṣāsura
• Rudra (Śiva)
• Andhaka
• Arjuna

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that arrogant intoxication in violence (yuddha-durmada) leads to ruin; righteous strength, framed through divine precedents (Skanda and Rudra), overcomes demonic or unruly pride.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that a warrior was slain by Arjuna in a chariot-to-chariot engagement, and he heightens the moment by likening the kill to famous divine slayings of powerful demons.