Shloka 36

Devanagari script

ततोडन्‍्तरिक्षे साक्षेपा विवादा भरतर्षभ । मिथो भेदाश्न भूतानामासन्‌ कर्णार्जुनान्तरे

Transliteration

tad anantaram antarikṣe sākṣepā vivādā bharatarṣabha | mitho bhedāś ca bhūtānām āsan karṇārjunāntare ||

Translation

Sañjaya thưa: Sau đó, hỡi bậc trượng phu của dòng Bharata, giữa muôn loài đang ở lưng trời bỗng dấy lên những cuộc tranh cãi gay gắt, lời qua tiếng lại đầy quy kết, bất đồng nhau về thắng bại của Karṇa và Arjuna. Ngay cả những kẻ đứng xem cũng bị chia rẽ, cho thấy trận quyết đấu này lớn lao và nặng tính đạo lý đến nhường nào.

Word by Word

• तत्: then/that (at that time)
• तत्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• अनन्तरम्: after that, thereafter
• अनन्तरम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनन्तर

• अन्तरिक्षे: in the sky/atmosphere
• अन्तरिक्षे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तरिक्ष
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• साक्षेपाः: with reproaches/taunts
• साक्षेपाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साक्षेप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• विवादाः: disputes, arguments
• विवादाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवाद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• भरतर्षभ: O bull among the Bharatas
• Type: Noun (Vocative epithet)
• Root: भरत-ऋषभ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• मिथः: mutually, with one another
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मिथस्

• भेदाः: differences, dissensions
• भेदाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भेद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• भूतानाम्: of beings/creatures
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• आसन्: were, arose
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural

• कर्णार्जुनान्तरे: in the matter/between Karna and Arjuna
• कर्णार्जुनान्तरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण-अर्जुन-अन्तर
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• भरतश्रेष्ठ: O best of the Bharatas
• Type: Noun (Vocative epithet)
• Root: भरत-श्रेष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by address: bharatarṣabha)
• Karṇa
• Arjuna
• antarikṣa (the mid-air/sky as the setting)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even witnesses can become divided when confronted with extraordinary power and high-stakes dharmic conflict; public opinion is unstable, and the outcome of war is not judged only by strength but also by perceived righteousness and destiny.

What is happening in the narrative?

After a significant exchange in the Karṇa–Arjuna battle, the beings watching from the sky begin arguing among themselves, trading reproaches and forming opposing views about who will win and who will lose.