Shloka 9

Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 58 — Arjuna’s Arrow-Storm and Relief of Bhīmasena

Devanagari script

पार्षतस्य धनुश्कछित्त्वा शरांश्षाशीविषोपमान्‌ । ताडयामास संक्रुद्ध: पार्षत॑ नवभि: शरै:

Transliteration

pārṣatasya dhanuś chittvā śarān āśīviṣopamān | tāḍayāmāsa saṅkruddhaḥ pārṣataṁ navabhiḥ śaraiḥ ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：迦尔纳斩断了普利沙塔之子的弓，又截落他那些如致命毒蛇般的毒箭；怒意炽盛之下，迦尔纳以九支箭直射持利湿提优摩那本人，使其受创。

Word by Word

• पार्षतस्य: of the son of Prishata (Dhrishtadyumna)
• पार्षतस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्षत
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• धनुः: bow
• धनुः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• छित्त्वा: having cut
• छित्त्वा: Kriya (Purvakala)
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage), Non-finite

• शरान्: arrows
• शरान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• आशीविषोपमान्: comparable to venomous serpents
• आशीविषोपमान्: Visheshana (of शरान्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आशीविष-उपम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• ताडयामास: struck / smote
• ताडयामास: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: तड्
• Form: Perfect (periphrastic), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• संक्रुद्धः: enraged
• संक्रुद्धः: Karta (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संक्रुद्ध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पार्षतम्: the son of Prishata (Dhrishtadyumna)
• पार्षतम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्षत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• नवभिः: with nine
• नवभिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective (Numeral)
• Root: नवन्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• शरैः: arrows
• शरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Karna
• Dṛṣṭadyumna (Pārṣata)
• bow (dhanuḥ)
• arrows (śara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how martial excellence can be intensified by anger, yet it also implicitly warns that krodha (wrath) drives escalation: first disabling the opponent’s weapon, then inflicting direct injury—showing the moral tension between warrior duty and uncontrolled passion.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna severs Dṛṣṭadyumna’s bow and cuts down his serpent-like, deadly arrows; then, enraged, he wounds Dṛṣṭadyumna with nine arrows.