Shloka 223

Adhyāya 8: Saṃprahāra-varṇana and Bhīma–Kṣemadhūrti Dvipa-Yuddha

Combat Description and Elephant Duel

Devanagari script

घातित: पाण्डवै: शूरै: समरे वीर्यशालिभि: । रथियोंमें श्रेष्ठ जिस राधापुत्रने दुर्योधनकी वृद्धिके लिये कंकपत्रयुक्त, तीखी धारवाले पैने बाण-समूहोंद्वारा समस्त शत्रुओंको परास्त करके उनसे कर वसूल किया था, जो दिव्यास्त्रोंका ज्ञाता, उत्तम अस्त्रोंका जानकार और हमारी सेनाओंका रक्षक था, वह महातेजस्वी धर्मात्मा वैकर्तन कर्ण अपने शूरवीर एवं बलशाली शत्रु पाण्डवोंद्वारा कैसे मारा गया?

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | ghātitaḥ pāṇḍavaiḥ śūraiḥ samare vīryaśālibhiḥ | rathīnāṃ śreṣṭhaḥ sa rādheyaḥ (rādhāputraḥ) yaḥ duryodhanasya vṛddhaye kaṅkapatra-yuktaiḥ tīkṣṇa-dhārair painaiḥ bāṇa-saṃghaiḥ samastān śatrūn parājitya tebhyaḥ karaṃ vyāharat | yo divyāstravit, uttamāstra-kuśalaḥ, asmākaṃ senānāṃ rakṣitā ca | sa mahātejasvī dharmātmā vaikartanaḥ karṇaḥ kathaṃ śūravīraiḥ balibhiś ca śatrubhiḥ pāṇḍavaiḥ ghātitaḥ ||

Translation

“بہادُر اور زورآور پاندَووں نے میدانِ جنگ میں اسے قتل کر دیا—مگر رتھیوں میں افضل، رادھا پُتر، مہاتجسوی اور دھرماتما ویکرتن کرن کیسے مارا گیا؟ جس نے دُریودھن کی بڑھوتری کے لیے کَنک پتر والے، تیز دھار بाणوں کی بوچھاڑ سے سب دشمنوں کو مغلوب کر کے ان سے خراج وصول کیا تھا؛ جو دیویہ استروں کا جاننے والا، بہترین ہتھیاروں میں ماہر اور ہماری فوجوں کا محافظ تھا—وہ پاندَووں کے ہاتھوں کیسے گرا؟”

Word by Word

घातितःkilled (made to be slain)

पाण्डवैःby the Pandavas

शूरैःby the brave (ones)

समरेin battle

वीर्यशालिभिःby the valorous/powerful

रथियाम्of chariot-warriors

श्रेष्ठःthe best

यःwho

राधापुत्रःRadha's son (Karna)

दुर्योधनस्यof Duryodhana

वृद्धयेfor the increase/prosperity

कङ्कपत्रयुक्तैःwith (arrows) furnished with heron-feathers

तीक्ष्णधारैःwith sharp-edged (ones)

पैनैःwith keen/pointed

बाणसमूहैःwith clusters of arrows

समस्तान्all (of them)

शत्रून्enemies

परास्त्यhaving defeated

तेभ्यःfrom them

करम्tribute/tax

अवसूलयत्collected/levied

यःwho

दिव्यास्त्रज्ञःknower of divine weapons

उत्तमास्त्रविद्knower of excellent weapons

अस्माकम्of us/our

सेनानाम्of the armies

रक्षकःprotector

सःhe

महातेजस्वीof great splendor

धर्मात्माrighteous-souled

वैकर्तनःVaikartana (Karna)

कर्णःKarna

स्वशूरवीरैःby his own heroic warriors (i.e., by the heroic ones opposed to him in this context)

बलशालिभिःby the strong

शत्रुभिःby enemies

पाण्डवैःby the Pandavas

कथम्how

हतःwas slain

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Pāṇḍavas

Karṇa

Vaikartana (epithet of Karṇa)

Rādhā (as Karṇa’s foster-mother; ‘Rādhāputra/Rādheya’)

Duryodhana

divyāstras (divine weapons)

bāṇas (arrows)

kara (tribute/tax)

senā (army)

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 frames Karṇa’s fall as a moral and narrative paradox: even a mighty, disciplined, and ‘dharmic’ warrior—skilled in divine weapons and devoted to protecting his side—can be overcome in war. It invites reflection on how loyalty, ambition, and the larger course of dharma and destiny can bring about the downfall of even the most formidable individuals.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes Karṇa’s stature: foremost among chariot-fighters, a master of divine missiles, and a key defender of the Kaurava forces who had subdued enemies and extracted tribute for Duryodhana’s benefit. Against this backdrop, he raises the question of how such a warrior could be slain by the Pāṇḍavas—setting up the account of the circumstances leading to Karṇa’s death.