Shloka 15

युधिष्ठिरस्य धनंजय-प्रति गर्हा

Yudhiṣṭhira’s Reproach to Dhanaṃjaya

Devanagari script

महाराज! ऐसा कहकर पाण्डुपुत्र युधिष्ठिरने लोहेके बने हुए सुवर्णपंखयुक्त दस बाणोंद्वारा कर्णको बींध डाला ।।

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

mahārāja! evaṃ uktvā pāṇḍuputro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ lohamayaiḥ suvarṇapakṣayuktaiḥ daśabhiḥ bāṇaiḥ karṇaṃ vivyādha ||

taṃ sūtaputro daśabhiḥ pratyaviddhyad arindamaḥ |

vatsadantaiḥ maheṣvāsaḥ prahasan iva bhārata ||

Translation

Sañjaya nói: Tâu Đại vương, nói xong như vậy, Yudhiṣṭhira, con trai của Pāṇḍu, đã dùng mười mũi tên sắt gắn cánh lông vàng bắn xuyên Karṇa. Rồi Karṇa, con của người đánh xe—kẻ khuất phục quân thù, cung thủ vĩ đại—liền đáp trả như thể đang mỉm cười, và làm Yudhiṣṭhira bị thương bằng mười mũi tên mang tên “Vatsadanta”.

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सूतपुत्रः: the charioteer’s son (Karna)
• सूतपुत्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूतपुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दशभिः: with ten
• दशभिः: Karana
• Type: Numeral
• Root: दशन्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• प्रत्यविद्ध्यत्: pierced in return / struck back
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्यध्
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada, प्रति,अव

• अरिंदमः: enemy-subduing
• अरिंदमः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अरिंदम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वत्सदन्तैः: with (arrows) named Vatsadanta
• वत्सदन्तैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्सदन्त
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• महेष्वासः: great bowman (lit. one having a great bow)
• महेष्वासः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेष्वास
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रहसन्: laughing
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-हस्
• Form: Present active participle, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: as if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• भारत: O Bharata
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Karṇa
• Pāṇḍu
• Vatsadanta arrows
• iron arrows
• golden-winged arrows

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the battlefield ethic of immediate consequence and reciprocal action: speech and intent are tested by deeds, and each warrior answers the other within the constraints of kṣatriya-dharma, even when the outcome is painful and morally complex.

What is happening in the narrative?

After speaking, Yudhiṣṭhira shoots and pierces Karṇa with ten iron arrows with golden feathering. Karṇa then counters at once, ‘as if smiling,’ and wounds Yudhiṣṭhira with ten arrows called Vatsadanta.