Shloka 116

Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 58 — Arjuna’s Arrow-Storm and Relief of Bhīmasena

Devanagari script

कर्ण विव्याध सप्तत्या शरै: संनतपर्वभि: । महारथी धृष्टद्युम्नने उस कटे हुए धनुषको फेंककर दूसरा धनुष और विषधर सर्पके समान विषैले बाण हाथमें लेकर झुकी हुई गाँठवाले सत्तर बाणोंसे कर्णको बींध डाला

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

karṇaṃ vivyādha saptatyā śaraiḥ saṃnataparvabhiḥ |

mahārathī dhṛṣṭadyumno 'sau chinnaṃ dhanuḥ kṣiptvā dvitīyaṃ dhanuḥ samādāya viṣadhara-sarpa-sadṛśān viṣailān bāṇān pāṇau gṛhītvā saṃnataparvabhiḥ saptatyā śaraiḥ karṇaṃ bibheda ||

Translation

Sañjaya thưa: “Dhrishtadyumna, vị đại chiến xa, quăng bỏ cây cung đã bị chém đứt, liền cầm lấy một cây cung khác và nắm trong tay những mũi tên độc như rắn mang nọc. Với bảy mươi mũi tên có khớp cong, ông đâm xuyên Karna.”

Word by Word

• कर्णम्: Karna (as object)
• कर्णम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• विव्याध: pierced
• विव्याध: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्यध्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सप्तत्या: with seventy
• सप्तत्या: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्तति
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• शरैः: with arrows
• शरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• संनतपर्वभिः: having bent/curved joints (i.e., knotted)
• संनतपर्वभिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संनतपर्वन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• महारथी: the great chariot-warrior
• महारथी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धृष्टद्युम्नः: Dhrishtadyumna
• धृष्टद्युम्नः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृष्टद्युम्न
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Karna
• Dhrishtadyumna
• bow (dhanuḥ)
• arrows (śara/bāṇa)
• poison/venom (viṣa)
• serpent (sarpa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights battlefield resilience and presence of mind: even after losing a weapon, a warrior must regain composure and act decisively. At the same time, the imagery of venomous arrows evokes the ethical weight of war—how quickly conflict can intensify toward more lethal means, pressing the listener to reflect on dharma under extreme conditions.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports that Dhrishtadyumna’s bow is cut; he throws it away, takes up another bow, and immediately counters by shooting Karna with seventy bent-jointed arrows, wounding him severely.