Shloka 68

Devanagari script

ततोड्'र्जुन: कर्णमवक्रगैर्नवै: सुवर्णपुड्खै: सुदृढैरयस्मयै: । यमाग्निदण्डप्रतिमै: स्तनान्तरे पराभिनत्‌ क्रौज्चमिवाद्रिमग्निज:

Transliteration

tato 'rjunaḥ karṇam avakragair navaiḥ suvarṇapuṅkhaiḥ sudṛḍhair ayasmayaiḥ | yamāgnidaṇḍapratimaiḥ stanāntare parābhinat krauñcam ivādrim agnijaḥ ||

Translation

تب ارجن نے کمان دار راہ سے اڑنے والے نو تیروں سے—لوہے کے ڈنڈوں والے، نہایت مضبوط، سنہری پر لگے ہوئے، یم کے ڈنڈے اور آگ کے ڈنڈے جیسے ہولناک—کرن کے سینے کو اسی طرح چھید ڈالا جیسے آگ سے جنمے کارتیکیہ نے کبھی کرونچ پہاڑ کو چیر دیا تھا۔

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereupon
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• अर्जुनः: Arjuna
• अर्जुनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कर्णम्: Karna
• कर्णम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अवक्रगैः: going in a curved course (crooked-flying)
• अवक्रगैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवक्रग
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• नवैः: new
• नवैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नव
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• सुवर्णपुड्खैः: having golden fletchings
• सुवर्णपुड्खैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुवर्ण-पुड्ख
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• सुदृढैः: very firm/strong
• सुदृढैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुदृढ
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• अयस्मयैः: made of iron
• अयस्मयैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अयस्मय
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• यमाग्निदण्डप्रतिमैः: like the staffs of Yama and of Fire
• यमाग्निदण्डप्रतिमैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यम-अग्नि-दण्ड-प्रतिम
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• स्तनान्तरे: in the space between the breasts (on the chest)
• स्तनान्तरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तन-अन्तर
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• पराभिनत्: split/pierced asunder
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + √भिद्
• Form: Aorist (Luṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• क्रौञ्चम्: Krauñca (mountain)
• क्रौञ्चम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रौञ्च
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• इव: like/as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• अद्रिमग्निजः: the mountain-born (Kumāra/Skanda)
• अद्रिमग्निजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अद्रि-मग्निज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• Karṇa
• Yama
• Agni (fire)
• Agnija (Kārttikeya/Skanda)
• Krauñca mountain
• Arrows (bāṇa)
• Daṇḍa (staff/rod)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores kṣatriya-dharma in its starkest form: in a righteous war, a warrior must act decisively according to role and moment, even when the act is severe. The epic simile (splitting Krauñca) frames martial action as part of a larger moral-cosmic order where prowess, destiny, and consequence interlock.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Arjuna shoots Karṇa with nine powerful, iron arrows with golden fletchings, striking and piercing his chest. The impact is compared to Kārttikeya splitting the Krauñca mountain, emphasizing the force and inevitability of the blow.