Shloka 9

अध्याय २९: कर्णस्य शल्यं प्रति शापस्मरणं च युद्धनिश्चयः | Chapter 29: Karṇa recalls curses to Śalya and declares resolve for battle

Devanagari script

सुरपतिसमविक्रमस्तत- स्त्रिदशवरावरजोपमं युधि । दिनकरकिरणप्रभै: पृषत्कै रवितनयो< भ्यहनच्छिनिप्रवीरम्‌

Transliteration

surapati-samavikramas tataḥ tridāśa-vara-avarajopamaṃ yudhi | dinakara-kiraṇa-prabhaiḥ pṛṣatkaiḥ ravitanayo 'bhyahanac chinipravīram ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：其时，太阳之子迦尔纳，勇武堪比因陀罗，在战斗中以如日光般炽烈的箭矢击伤了尸尼族最卓绝的勇士萨提亚基——他强盛如优波因陀罗（毗湿奴），乃诸天之主的幼弟。此偈写出武力升级之无情：纵是名震四方的豪杰，也难免在战场职责那不容退却的法则下受创。

Word by Word

• {'surapati': 'lord of the gods

• Indra', 'samavikrama': 'of equal valor/prowess', 'tataḥ': 'then

• thereafter', 'tridāśa': 'the thirty (gods)

• celestial beings', 'vara': 'excellent

• best', 'avaraja': 'younger brother', 'upama': 'comparable to

• like', 'yudhi': 'in battle', 'dinakara': 'maker of the day

• the Sun', 'kiraṇa': 'ray', 'prabhā': 'splendor

• radiance', 'pṛṣatka': 'arrow', 'ravitanaya': 'son of the Sun

• Karṇa', 'abhyahanat': 'struck

• wounded', 'śini-pravīra': 'foremost hero of the Śini clan (Sātyaki)'}

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Karṇa
• Indra (Surapati)
• Upendra (Viṣṇu)
• Sātyaki
• Śini clan
• arrows (pṛṣatkāḥ)
• sun rays (dinakara-kiraṇāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the stern reality of kṣatriya-dharma in war: even celebrated warriors must endure harm as combat intensifies. It also uses elevated similes (Indra/Upendra; sun-rays) to frame martial prowess as both awe-inspiring and morally weighty, reminding the listener that glory in battle is inseparable from suffering and consequence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Karṇa, likened to Indra in valor, strikes and wounds Sātyaki—chief hero of the Śini lineage—who is compared to Upendra (Viṣṇu). Karṇa’s arrows are described as radiant like the sun’s rays, emphasizing the force and brilliance of the attack.