Shloka 18

कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ५९

Arjuna Breaks the Encirclement; Bhīma Reinforces

Devanagari script

कर्णेन चाभियुक्तो5यं भूपति: शत्रुतापन: । संशयं समनुप्राप्त: पाण्डवो वै युधिष्िर:,'शत्रुओंको तपानेवाले ये पाण्डुपुत्र राजा युधिष्ठिर कर्णके साथ युद्ध करके प्राणसंकटकी अवस्थामें पहुँच गये हैं

Transliteration

karṇena cābhiyukto ’yaṃ bhūpatiḥ śatrutāpanaḥ | saṃśayaṃ samanuprāptaḥ pāṇḍavo vai yudhiṣṭhiraḥ ||

Translation

کرن کے سخت حملے کے باعث دشمنوں کو جلانے والا پانڈو راجا یُدھشٹھِر جان کے خطرے اور تذبذب کی حالت تک جا پہنچا ہے۔

Word by Word

कर्णेनby Karna

चand

अभियुक्तःattacked/engaged (in combat)

अयम्this (man)

भूपतिःking

शत्रुतापनःscorcher of enemies

संशयम्doubt/peril

समनुप्राप्तःhaving reached/come to

पाण्डवःthe Pandava (son of Pandu)

वैindeed

युधिष्ठिरःYudhishthira

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Karṇa

Yudhiṣṭhira

Pāṇḍava

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 how even a righteous king can be forced into doubt and peril under intense aggression, underscoring the ethical weight of leadership in war: courage and duty must be upheld even when outcomes become uncertain.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Karṇa has launched a fierce assault on King Yudhiṣṭhira, pushing him into a critical, life-threatening predicament and mental uncertainty amid the battle.