Shloka 48

कर्णपर्व — पञ्चदशोऽध्यायः | Karṇa Parva, Chapter 15: Pāṇḍya’s Advance and Aśvatthāmā’s Counterstroke

Devanagari script

पुन्द्रौर्णि महाशैलं नाराचैर्वज्संनिभै: । निर्बिभेद महावेगैस्त्वरन्‌ वज्रीव पर्वतम्‌

Transliteration

puṇḍrauṇi mahāśailaṃ nārācair vajrasaṃnibhaiḥ | nirbibheda mahāvegais tvaran vajrīva parvatam ||

Translation

Sañjaya nói: Với tốc độ dữ dội, chàng dùng những mũi tên nārāca sắc như dao, cứng như lôi chùy của Indra, xuyên thủng thân hình Puṇḍra to lớn như núi—nhanh như thể chính Indra cầm sét đang bổ đôi một ngọn núi.

Word by Word

• पुन्द्रौर्णिम्: Pundraurṇi (a person; here as the object/target)
• पुन्द्रौर्णिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुन्द्रौर्णि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• महाशैलम्: a great mountain
• महाशैलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाशैल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• नाराचैः: with iron arrows
• नाराचैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाराच
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• वज्र-संनिभैः: resembling a thunderbolt
• वज्र-संनिभैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वज्र-संनिभ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• निर्बिभेद: he pierced / split
• निर्बिभेद: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: भिद्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Singular

• महावेगैः: with great speed/force
• महावेगैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महावेग
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• त्वरन्: hastening
• त्वरन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्वर्
• Form: Śatṛ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वज्री: the thunderbolt-bearer (Indra)
• वज्री: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वज्रिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• पर्वतम्: a mountain
• पर्वतम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Puṇḍra
• Indra (Vajrī)
• Vajra (thunderbolt)
• Nārāca arrows
• Mountain (parvata/mahāśaila)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how, in the chaos of war, even what seems immovable (‘mountain-like’) can be shattered by concentrated force and skill. It implicitly cautions that physical might and steadfastness are not absolute protections when adharma-driven conflict escalates into overwhelming violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates a battlefield moment where a warrior (implied by context) rapidly strikes Puṇḍra with powerful nārāca arrows, comparing the action to Indra cleaving a mountain with the vajra.