Shloka 25

कर्णवधोत्तरं शल्य-दुर्योधनसंवादः

Aftermath of Karṇa’s Fall: Śalya’s Address to Duryodhana

Devanagari script

त्वष्टा कृतं वाहमकूजनाक्ष॑ शुभं समास्थाय कपिध्वजं तम्‌ | खडगं गृहीत्वा हेमपट्टानुबद्धं धनुश्चेदं गाण्डिवं तालमात्रम्‌

Transliteration

tvaṣṭā kṛtaṃ vāham akūjanākṣaṃ śubhaṃ samāsthāya kapidhvajaṃ tam | khaḍgaṃ gṛhītvā hemapaṭṭānubaddhaṃ dhanuś cedaṃ gāṇḍivaṃ tālamātram ||

Translation

سنجے نے کہا—تواشٹا کے بنائے ہوئے اُس مبارک رتھ پر سوار ہو کر، کپی دھوج (بندر-پرچم والے) سورما کے پاس ٹھہر کر، اس نے سونے کی پٹیوں سے جڑی تلوار تھامی اور کھجور کے درخت کے برابر پیمانے والا عظیم گاندیو کمان بھی اٹھا لیا۔

Word by Word

• त्वष्टा: Tvaṣṭṛ (the divine artisan)
• त्वष्टा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वष्टृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कृतम्: made, fashioned
• कृतम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular, Past passive participle (क्त)

• वाहम्: vehicle, mount
• वाहम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाह
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अकूजनाक्षम्: whose eyes do not blink/move (steady-eyed)
• अकूजनाक्षम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अकूजनाक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• शुभम्: auspicious, splendid
• शुभम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• समास्थाय: having mounted/ascended
• समास्थाय: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-स्था
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा/ल्यप्), Parasmaipada (usage)

• कपिध्वजम्: the one with a monkey-banner (Arjuna)
• कपिध्वजम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिध्वज
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• खड्गम्: sword
• खड्गम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: खड्ग
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• गृहीत्वा: having taken
• गृहीत्वा: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह्
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा), Parasmaipada (usage)

• हेमपट्टानुबद्धम्: bound/fastened with a golden belt/strap
• हेमपट्टानुबद्धम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हेमपट्टानुबद्ध
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular, Past passive participle (क्त)

• धनुः: bow
• धनुः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• गाण्डिवम्: Gāṇḍīva (Arjuna’s bow)
• गाण्डिवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गाण्डिव
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तालमात्रम्: of the measure of a tāla (a span/palm-measure)
• तालमात्रम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तालमात्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• संजय (Sañjaya)
• त्वष्टा (Tvaṣṭṛ)
• कपिध्वज (Kapi-dhvaja, monkey-bannered—Arjuna’s emblem with Hanūmān)
• खड्ग (sword)
• गाण्डिव (Gāṇḍīva bow)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights disciplined readiness in the service of duty: sacred symbols (the monkey-banner), divine craftsmanship (Tvaṣṭṛ’s chariot), and formidable weapons are not for vanity but for fulfilling kṣatriya responsibility in a morally fraught war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a warrior (identified by the monkey-banner and the Gāṇḍīva as Arjuna) mounting the auspicious, divinely crafted chariot and taking up sword and bow, signaling immediate preparation to engage in the battle events of Karṇa Parva.