Shloka 103

कर्णपर्व — पञ्चदशोऽध्यायः | Karṇa Parva, Chapter 15: Pāṇḍya’s Advance and Aśvatthāmā’s Counterstroke

Devanagari script

निघ्नन्तमभिजन्नुस्ते शरै: शृद्जैरिवर्षभा: । उस समय संशप्तक वीर अत्यन्त रोषमें भरकर मैथुनकी इच्छावाली गायके लिये लड़नेवाले मदमत्त साँड़ोंके समान गर्जन एवं हुंकार करते हुए कुपित अर्जुनकी ओर टूट पड़े और जैसे साँड़ एक-दूसरेको सींगोंसे मारते हैं

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | nighnantam abhijannus te śaraiḥ śṛṅgair ivarṣabhāḥ |

Translation

三阇耶说道：当阿周那击杀他们之时，那些三誓军勇士怒火填膺，咆哮嘶吼，猛扑向震怒的阿周那，犹如发情的公牛为争母牛而斗；又如公牛以角相刺，他们近身围攻，以箭雨伤及阿周那。

Word by Word

• निघ्नन्तम्: striking, slaying (him)
• निघ्नन्तम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: निघ्नत् (√हन्)
• Form: present active, masculine, accusative, singular

• अभिजन्नुस्ते: they were born/rose up against; they attacked
• अभिजन्नुस्ते: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-√जन्
• Form: perfect (liṭ), 3rd, plural, parasmaipada

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

• शृङ्गैः: with horns
• शृङ्गैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शृङ्ग
• Form: neuter, instrumental, plural

• इव: like, as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• वृषभाः: bulls
• वृषभाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषभ
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Arjuna
• Saṁśaptaka warriors
• arrows (śara)
• horns (śṛṅga)
• bulls (ṛṣabha)
• cow (implied by the simile: bulls fighting for a cow)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how uncontrolled wrath and vow-driven obstinacy can eclipse discernment: courage without restraint becomes destructive, pushing warriors into futile, self-harming aggression even when dharma would demand measured action.

What is happening in the narrative?

While Arjuna is cutting down opponents, the Saṁśaptaka fighters surge toward him in anger, bellowing like rutting bulls; they press in and strike at him, wounding him with repeated arrow-shots amid fierce close-quarters combat.