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Shloka 14

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

तस्य कर्णो महाराज शरं कनकभूषणम्‌ | प्रेषयामास संक्रुद्धों मृत्युदण्डमिवापरम्‌,महाराज! तब कर्णने अत्यन्त कुपित हो धृष्टद्युम्नपर द्वितीय मृत्युदण्डके समान एक सुवर्ण- भूषित बाण चलाया

tasya karṇo mahārāja śaraṃ kanakabhūṣaṇam | preṣayāmāsa saṃkruddho mṛtyudaṇḍam ivāparam ||

Sañjaya thưa: Tâu Đại vương, khi ấy Karṇa bừng bừng phẫn nộ, phóng về phía chàng một mũi tên trang sức vàng—tựa như cây trượng thứ hai của Thần Chết Yama. Câu kệ làm nặng thêm ý nghĩa đạo lý của chiến trường: cơn giận biến tài nghệ võ trận thành khí cụ giống hình phạt của Yama, khiến bạo lực và hệ quả của nó càng thêm dữ dội.

तस्यof him/thereof
तस्य:
Adhikarana
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular
कर्णःKarna
कर्णः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootकर्ण
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
महाराजO great king
महाराज:
TypeNoun (vocative address)
Rootमहाराज
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
शरम्arrow
शरम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootशर
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
कनकभूषणम्gold-adorned
कनकभूषणम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootकनक-भूषण
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
प्रेषयामासsent/shot forth
प्रेषयामास:
TypeVerb
Rootप्र-इष् (प्रेषयति)
FormPerfect (Periphrastic perfect), 3rd, Singular
संक्रुद्धःenraged
संक्रुद्धः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootसं-क्रुध् (ppp: संक्रुद्ध)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
मृत्युदण्डम्staff/rod of Death (death-blow)
मृत्युदण्डम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootमृत्यु-दण्ड
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
इवlike/as
इव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइव
अपरम्another/second
अपरम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective/Pronoun
Rootअपर
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular

संजय उवाच

S
Sañjaya
K
Karṇa
D
Dhṛtarāṣṭra
Ś
śara (arrow)
K
kanaka-bhūṣaṇa (gold ornamentation)
M
Mṛtyu/Yama (Death, implied by mṛtyudaṇḍa)

Educational Q&A

The verse warns, through stark metaphor, how anger (saṃkruddha) can transform prowess into near-inevitable destruction—‘like Death’s rod’—highlighting the ethical peril of wrath in righteous conduct and warfare.

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Karṇa, furious, shoots a gold-adorned arrow at his opponent, described as a second ‘rod of Death,’ emphasizing the lethal intensity of the moment in battle.