Shloka 17

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

Devanagari script

विव्याध चैनं समरे नाराचैस्तत्र सप्तभि: । त॑ प्रत्यविध्यच्छैनेय: शरैहेमपरिष्कृतै:

Transliteration

vivyādha cainaṃ samare nārācais tatra saptabhiḥ | taṃ pratyavidhyac chainēyaḥ śaraiḥ hemapariṣkṛtaiḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya thưa: Trong trận ấy, chàng đâm trúng đối phương bằng bảy mũi tên nārāca. Đáp lại, con trai của Śini—Śaineya (Sātyaki)—cũng bắn những mũi tên điểm vàng làm Karṇa bị thương, trả đòn sòng phẳng trong đạo lý khốc liệt của chiến tranh kṣatriya: dũng khí lập tức được đáp bằng dũng khí.

Word by Word

• विव्याध: pierced/wounded
• विव्याध: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्यध्
• Form: लिट् (परोक्शभूत/परफेक्ट), 3, singular, परस्मैपदम्

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

• एनम्: him
• एनम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• समरे: in battle
• समरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: समर
• Form: masculine, locative, singular

• नाराचैः: with iron arrows (narācas)
• नाराचैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाराच
• Form: masculine, instrumental, plural

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• सप्तभिः: with seven
• सप्तभिः: Karana
• Type: Numeral/Adjective
• Root: सप्त
• Form: masculine, instrumental, plural

• तं: him
• तं: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• प्रत्यविध्यत्: pierced in return/retaliated by piercing
• प्रत्यविध्यत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-व्यध् (प्रति-अव-)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect), 3, singular, परस्मैपदम्

• शैनेयः: Śaineya (Sātyaki, descendant of Śini)
• शैनेयः: Karta
• Type: Noun (patronymic)
• Root: शैनेय
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• शरैः: with arrows
• शरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: masculine, instrumental, plural

• हेमपरिष्कृतैः: adorned/embellished with gold
• हेमपरिष्कृतैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हेम-परिष्कृत
• Form: masculine, instrumental, plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Karṇa
• Sātyaki (Śaineya, son of Śini)
• nārāca arrows
• gold-adorned arrows
• battlefield (samara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the kṣatriya code in wartime: courage and skill are met with immediate counter-action. It reflects a battlefield ethic of answering an attack directly, emphasizing steadfastness and parity in combat rather than withdrawal.

What is happening in the narrative?

One warrior wounds the other with seven nārāca arrows; then Śaineya (Sātyaki) retaliates by striking Karṇa with gold-adorned arrows, showing an exchange of blows in the ongoing duel.