Mahabharata — Drona Parva, Shloka 306

Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 107: Karṇa–Bhīma Saṃmarda

Arrow-storm Engagement

Devanagari script

कार्मुकाण्याददुस्तूर्णमर्जुनार्थे परंतपा: । तदनन्तर शत्रुओंको संताप देनेवाले उन सब महारथियोंने अर्जुनको मारनेके लिये तुरंत ही विचित्र, चमकीले और विशाल धनुष हाथमें ले लिये

Transliteration

kārmukāṇy ādadus tūrṇam arjunārthe paraṃtapāḥ | tad-anantaraṃ śatrūṇāṃ santāpa-dena-vāle una sab mahārathiyoṃ ne arjuna ko mārane ke liye turanta hī vicitra, camakīle aura viśāla dhanuṣa hātha meṃ le liye |

Translation

Sañjaya nói: Những đại chiến binh ấy—kẻ thiêu đốt quân thù—lập tức cầm lấy cung vì Arjuna. Rồi ngay sau đó, với ý định giết Arjuna, họ tức khắc nắm lấy những cây cung kỳ dị, sáng lóa và to lớn, sẵn sàng gieo nỗi thống khổ lên kẻ địch của mình.

Word by Word

• कार्मुकाणि: bows
• कार्मुकाणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्मुक
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• आददुः: took up
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + दा
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• तूर्णम्: quickly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तूर्णम्

• अर्जुनार्थे: for Arjuna's sake / with regard to Arjuna
• अर्जुनार्थे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुनार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• परंतपाः: the tormentors of foes (mighty warriors)
• परंतपाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: परंतप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Arjuna
• kārmuka (bows)
• dhanuṣ (bows)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the immediacy of martial resolve and the ethical pressure of war: when a decisive figure like Arjuna becomes the focus, warriors rapidly arm themselves, showing how intention (saṅkalpa) turns into action and escalates the conflict’s moral and strategic stakes.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates that powerful warriors quickly take up their bows, preparing for a concentrated assault aimed at killing Arjuna; the scene signals an intensification of battle where elite fighters mobilize with urgency.