Shloka 40

कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ५९

Arjuna Breaks the Encirclement; Bhīma Reinforces

Devanagari script

पश्य कर्ण रणे पार्थ श्वेतच्छत्रविराजितम्‌ | उदयं पर्वतं यद्वच्छशाड्केनाभिशोभितम्‌

Transliteration

paśya karṇa raṇe pārtha śvetacchatravirājitam | udayaṃ parvataṃ yadvac chaśāṅkenābhiśobhitam ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：“看哪，噢帕尔塔，战场上的迦尔纳在白色王伞之下熠熠生辉；他宛如东方之山，被其上的明月照得灿然。”此偈以王者与宇宙的意象勾勒迦尔纳的武威，点出战争中的外在荣光与名誉，往往掩盖内里的凶险与骨肉相残所带来的道德张力。

Word by Word

• पश्य: see, behold
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश्
• Form: लोट् (imperative), 2, singular, परस्मैपदम्

• कर्ण: O Karna
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

• पार्थ: O Partha (Arjuna)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• श्वेत: with/by (a) white
• श्वेत: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्वेत
• Form: neuter, instrumental, singular

• छत्र: umbrella, parasol
• छत्र: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: छत्र
• Form: neuter, instrumental, singular

• विराजितम्: adorned, resplendent
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-राज्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), masculine, accusative, singular

• उदयम्: Udaya (the eastern mountain); rising
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदय
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• पर्वतम्: mountain
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• यद्वत्: just as, like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद्वत्

• चन्द्र: with/by the moon
• चन्द्र: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र
• Form: masculine, instrumental, singular

• अङ्केन: with a mark/lap (here: with the moon as an ornament/mark)
• अङ्केन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्क
• Form: masculine, instrumental, singular

• अभिशोभितम्: beautifully adorned, splendid
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-शुभ्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), masculine, accusative, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Karna
• Partha (Arjuna)
• white royal parasol (śvetacchatra)
• Udaya mountain (udaya-parvata)
• moon (śaśāṅka)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores how war exalts warriors with signs of honor and grandeur (the white parasol, cosmic comparisons), yet such splendor does not resolve the deeper ethical strain of the conflict; it invites reflection on the difference between outward glory and the inner moral cost of battle.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya, narrating the battle to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, points out Karṇa’s striking appearance on the battlefield and addresses Arjuna as ‘Pārtha,’ comparing Karṇa’s radiance under a white parasol to the eastern mountain beautified by the moon.