Shloka 43

कर्णवधार्थं धनञ्जयस्य प्रतिज्ञा — Arjuna’s resolve for Karṇa’s defeat

Devanagari script

हन्यमानमपशथ्यंश्न निश्चेष्टं सम पराक्रमे | अयुतं तत्र योधानां हत्वा पाण्डुसुतो रणे

Transliteration

hanyamānam apaśyann niśceṣṭaṃ sama-parākrame | ayutaṃ tatra yodhānāṃ hatvā pāṇḍu-suto raṇe ||

Translation

سنجے نے کہا—اسے ضربوں سے گرتا ہوا، شجاعت میں برابر ہونے کے باوجود بے حرکت پڑا دیکھ کر، پاندو کے بیٹے نے اس رن میں وہاں دس ہزار جنگجوؤں کو قتل کر ڈالا۔

Word by Word

• हन्यमानम्: being struck / being slain
• हन्यमानम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन् (धातु) → हन्यमान (कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अपश्यत्: saw
• अपश्यत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (पश्यति)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular

• अंश्न: indeed / as it were (particle; sense uncertain in this context)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अंश्न (अव्यय/निपात)

• निश्चेष्टम्: motionless, inert
• निश्चेष्टम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निश्चेष्ट
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• समपराक्रमे: in equal prowess / in matched valor
• समपराक्रमे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम-पराक्रम
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• अयुतम्: ten thousand
• अयुतम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयुत
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• योधानाम्: of warriors
• Type: Noun
• Root: योध
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• हत्वा: having slain
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु) → हत्वा
• Form: Absolutive (त्वान्त), Parasmaipada (usage)

• पाण्डुसुतः: the son of Pandu (Arjuna/Yudhishthira etc.)
• पाण्डुसुतः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डु-सुत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Pāṇḍu-suta (a Pāṇḍava, likely Arjuna)
• yodhāḥ (warriors)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the moral gravity of battlefield success: when a powerful opponent is incapacitated, the balance of war collapses and large-scale killing can follow. It invites reflection on kṣatriya-dharma—duty in war—while also exposing the tragic cost and ethical burden of victory measured in bodies.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that the Pāṇḍu-born hero, seeing an equal-in-valor fighter rendered motionless while being struck, went on to kill ten thousand warriors in that battle. It is a compressed battlefield report emphasizing a sudden surge of destruction.