Shloka 41

उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय १४० (कृष्णेन कर्णं प्रति पाण्डवबल-वैशिष्ट्यप्रदर्शनम्) / Udyoga Parva, Chapter 140

Krishna’s appraisal of Pandava advantage and war portents

Devanagari script

इषवोत्र परिस्तोमा मुक्ता गाण्डीवधन्चना । महारथप्रयुक्ताश्च द्रोणद्रौणिप्रचोदिता:

Transliteration

iṣavo 'tra paristomā muktā gāṇḍīvadhanvanā | mahāratha-prayuktāś ca droṇa-drauṇi-pracoditāḥ ||

Translation

Karna nói: “Ở đây, những loạt tên—được phóng ra dày đặc, theo thế bao vây—đã được bắn từ người mang Gāṇḍīva (Arjuna). Đó là những mũi tên của một đại xa chiến sĩ, và chúng đang được thúc đẩy, gia tăng dưới sự khích lệ của Droṇa và con trai Droṇa (Aśvatthāman).”

Word by Word

इषवःarrows

उतand/also

परिस्तोमाःvolleys (lit. surrounding showers/streams)

मुक्ताःreleased/shot

गाण्डीवधन्वनाby the wielder of Gāṇḍīva (Arjuna)

महारथप्रयुक्ताःdischarged by great chariot-warriors

चand

द्रोणद्रौणिप्रचोदिताःimpelled by Droṇa and Droṇi (Aśvatthāman)

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

Karna

Arjuna

Gāṇḍīva

Droṇa

Aśvatthāman (Drauṇi)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights that extraordinary power and technique in war are ethically charged: when great skill is urged on by authoritative figures, it can either serve dharma or intensify harm. It invites reflection on accountability—of the warrior who acts, and of the mentors who incite.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna describes the battlefield moment: Arjuna, wielding the Gāṇḍīva, releases dense, surrounding volleys of arrows. Karna notes these are the actions of a mahāratha and says the assault is being spurred on by Droṇa and Aśvatthāman.