Shloka 5

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

Devanagari script

शिरांस्युन्मथ्य वीराणां शितैर्भल्लैर्धनंजय: । पूर्णचन्द्रा भवकत्राणि स्वक्षिभ्रदूशनानि च

Transliteration

śirāṁsy unmathya vīrāṇāṁ śitaiḥ bhallair dhanaṁjayaḥ | pūrṇacandrābhavakatrāṇi svakṣibhradūṣaṇāni ca

Translation

Sañjaya thưa: Với những mũi tên bhalla sắc như dao, Dhanañjaya (Arjuna) đã chém rời đầu các chiến sĩ; lại còn đập tan những mũ trụ sáng tròn như trăng rằm và cả những tấm che mắt bảo vệ thị lực của họ.

Word by Word

• शिरांसि: heads
• शिरांसि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• उन्मथ्य: having churned up / having torn off / having wrenched out
• Type: Verb
• Root: उन्मथ्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

• वीराणाम्: of heroes/warriors
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• शितैः: with sharp
• शितैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शित
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• भल्लैः: arrows (bhalla-type shafts)
• भल्लैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भल्ल
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• धनंजयः: Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)
• धनंजयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनंजय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पूर्णचन्द्राणि: full-moon-like
• पूर्णचन्द्राणि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्णचन्द्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• भवकत्राणि: helmets/armour-pieces (reading uncertain)
• भवकत्राणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवकत्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• स्वक्षिभ्रदूषणानि: eye-ornaments/eye-protectors (reading uncertain)
• स्वक्षिभ्रदूषणानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वक्षिभ्रदूषण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)
• bhalla arrows
• helmets/head-protectors
• eye-guards/visors

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the harsh reality of righteous warfare in the epic: extraordinary skill and resolve, when exercised as a warrior’s duty, can be terrifyingly effective. It invites reflection on the ethical weight of violence even when performed under the banner of dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Arjuna’s battlefield prowess: using sharp bhalla arrows, he severs warriors’ heads and breaks their shining, round helmets and eye-protectors, depicting the intensity and destructiveness of the combat.