Shloka 416

Aśvatthāman’s Arrow-Screen and the Confrontation with Yudhiṣṭhira (द्रौणि–युधिष्ठिर-संग्रामः)

Devanagari script

आकेशाग्रान्नखाग्राच्च वक्तव्येषु कुकर्मसु । मद्रनिवासी सिरकी चोटीसे लेकर पैरोंके नखाग्रभागतक निन्दाके ही योग्य हैं। वे सब- के-सब कुकर्ममें लगे रहते हैं। उनके विषयमें हम तथा दूसरे लोग भी ऐसी बहुत-सी बातें कह सकते हैं

Transliteration

ākeśāgrān nakhāgrāc ca vaktavyeṣu kukarmasu |

Translation

Karna nói: “Từ ngọn tóc cho đến đầu móng chân, họ chỉ đáng bị chê trách. Họ hoàn toàn dấn thân vào các việc ác; về họ, ta và cả người khác nữa cũng có thể nói ra vô số điều như thế.”

Word by Word

• आ: up to, as far as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ

• केशाग्रात्: from the tip of the hair
• केशाग्रात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशाग्र
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• नखाग्रात्: from the tip of the nails
• नखाग्रात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नखाग्र
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

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

• वक्तव्येषु: in matters to be spoken of / to be said
• वक्तव्येषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वक्तव्य
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Plural

• कुकर्मसु: in evil deeds
• कुकर्मसु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुकर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Plural

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Karna
• Madra (people/region implied by 'madranivāsī' in the accompanying Hindi gloss)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse illustrates how moral condemnation can be expressed as totalizing blame (“from head to toe”), highlighting the ethical danger of sweeping denunciations and the rhetoric of vilification in wartime discourse.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna is speaking harshly about a group he deems blameworthy, asserting that they are entirely devoted to wrongdoing and that many further condemnatory statements could be made about them.