Shloka 43

Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 19 — Saṃśaptaka–Trigarta Assault and Aindra-astra Counter

Devanagari script

मणिप्रवेकोत्तमवज्रहाटकै- रलंकृत चांशुकमाल्यमौक्तिकै: । हतो हतो$सीत्यसकृन्मुदा नदन्‌ पराहनद्‌ द्रौणिवराज़भूषणम्‌

Transliteration

maṇipravarokttamavajrahāṭakaiḥ alaṅkṛtaṁ cāṁśukamālyamauktikaiḥ | hato hato'sīty asakṛn mudā nadan parāhanad drauṇivarāja-bhūṣaṇam ||

Translation

Sañjaya nói: Vương miện lộng lẫy của Aśvatthāmā, trang sức bằng bảo thạch thượng hạng, kim cương tinh tuyển và vàng, lại thêm lụa là, vòng hoa và ngọc trai, đã bị cây lao đánh trúng hết lần này đến lần khác. Kẻ tấn công vừa ra tay vừa reo vui: “Ngươi đã chết! Ngươi đã chết!”

Word by Word

• {'maṇi': 'gem, jewel', 'pravara': 'excellent, foremost', 'uttama': 'best, supreme', 'vajra': 'diamond

• also ‘thunderbolt’ (here: diamond)', 'hāṭaka': 'gold', 'alaṅkṛta': 'adorned, ornamented', 'aṁśuka': 'fine cloth, silk garment', 'mālya': 'garland, wreath', 'mauktika': 'pearl', 'hataḥ': 'slain, killed', 'asakṛt': 'repeatedly, again and again', 'mudā': 'with joy, gladly', 'nadan': 'shouting, crying aloud', 'parāhanat': 'struck, smote (repeatedly/forcefully)', 'drauṇi': 'son of Droṇa

• Aśvatthāmā', 'rāja-bhūṣaṇam': 'royal ornament

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Aśvatthāmā (Drauṇi)
• crown/diadem (rāja-bhūṣaṇa)
• spear (tomara)
• gems (maṇi)
• diamond (vajra)
• gold (hāṭaka)
• silk cloth (aṁśuka)
• garland (mālya)
• pearls (mauktika)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights an ethical fault that can arise in war: taking joy in harming an opponent and proclaiming victory with glee. Even within kṣatriya warfare, exultation in violence and premature claims of killing reflect loss of restraint and compassion, showing how battle can distort judgment and character.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a combat moment in which Aśvatthāmā’s richly ornamented crown is repeatedly struck with a spear, while the attacker shouts joyfully, “You are slain, you are slain!” The focus is on the repeated blows and the triumphant, taunting cry amid the chaos of battle.