Shloka 24

Devanagari script

सारथिं च त्रिभिबाणैराजघान परंतप:

Transliteration

sārathiṁ ca tribhir bāṇair ājaghāna parantapaḥ |

Translation

Sañjaya nói: Karṇa, kẻ thiêu đốt quân thù, còn hạ gục cả người đánh xe của Sahadeva chỉ bằng ba mũi tên. Và trong nhịp chớp, chàng khiến các con trai của Draupadī mất chiến xa—một kỳ công lạ lùng, hỡi bậc ưu tú của dòng Bharata.

Word by Word

• सारथिम्: charioteer
• सारथिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सारथि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• त्रिभिः: with three
• त्रिभिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• बाणैः: with arrows
• बाणैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• आजघान: struck / smote
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• परंतपः: the foe-tormenter (Karna)
• परंतपः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परंतप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Karṇa
• Sahadeva
• Sahadeva’s charioteer
• Draupadī
• Draupadī’s sons (Draupadeyas)
• arrows
• chariot

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how, in war, tactical strikes often target enabling supports (like charioteers and chariots), revealing the harsh reality of kṣatriya-conflict: excellence is praised as ‘adbhuta’ (astonishing), even when it involves lethal efficiency. It invites reflection on the tension between martial duty and the moral cost of violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Karṇa shoots Sahadeva’s charioteer with three arrows, effectively disabling Sahadeva’s chariot operation. In the same rapid sequence (as the surrounding narration indicates), Karṇa also renders Draupadī’s sons chariotless, demonstrating swift battlefield dominance.