Mahabharata 7.161.643 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 161, Shloka 643

अजिशीर्षे प्रातःसंध्यायां संग्रामवर्णनम् / Dawn-Transition Battle at Ajiśīrṣa

Chapter 161

Devanagari script

आरुरोह रथं तूर्ण कृपस्थ शरपीडित: । जिसके घोड़े मारे गये थे, उस रथसे तुरंत उतरकर बाणपीड़ित कर्ण शीघ्रतापूर्वक कृपाचार्यके रथपर चढ़ गया

Transliteration

āruroha rathaṃ tūrṇaṃ kṛpasthaḥ śarapīḍitaḥ |

Translation

Sañjaya nói: Bị mũi tên đâm đau, Karṇa—kẻ có ngựa xe mình đã bị giết—lập tức rời khỏi cỗ xe ấy và vội vã leo lên chiến xa của Kṛpācārya.

Word by Word

• आरुरोह: mounted, ascended
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-रुह्
• Form: Liṭ (Perfect), Parasmaipada, 3, Singular

• रथम्: chariot
• रथम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• कृपस्थः: standing/being on Kripa (i.e., on Kripa's chariot)
• कृपस्थः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृप-स्थ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शरपीडितः: afflicted by arrows
• शरपीडितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शर-पीडित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Karṇa
• Kṛpācārya (Kṛpa)
• chariot (ratha)
• arrows (śara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even the mightiest warrior can be forced into dependence when circumstances collapse; in war, resilience includes accepting aid and adapting strategy, while the episode also highlights the grim cost of violence and the fragility of martial power.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karṇa, wounded by arrows and having lost the horses of his own chariot, quickly climbs onto Kṛpācārya’s chariot; Sañjaya reports this shift as a tactical move to remain in the fight.