Shloka 25

कर्णार्जुनसमागमः — The Karṇa–Arjuna Confrontation

Cosmic Spectatorship and Vows

Devanagari script

विदार्य तज्जालमथेन्द्रमुक्तं पार्थस्ततो द्रौणिरथं क्षणेन । प्रच्छादयामास ततो<भ्युपेत्य द्रौणिस्तदा पार्थशराभिभूत:,इस प्रकार इन्द्रास्त्रद्वारा छोड़े गये उस बाण-जालको विदीर्ण करके अर्जुनने निकटवर्ती होकर क्षणभरमें अश्वत्थामाके रथको ढक दिया। उस समय अअभश्रत्थामा अर्जुनके बाणोंसे अभिभूत हो गया था

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

vidārya taj-jālam athendramuktaṃ pārthas tato drauṇirathaṃ kṣaṇena |

pracchādayām āsa tato 'bhyupetya drauṇis tadā pārthaśarābhibhūtaḥ ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：帕尔塔撕裂了那由因陀罗之兵放出的箭网，随即顷刻逼近，以己之箭矢遮蔽德罗那之子阿湿婆他摩的战车。那一刻，德罗那之子被阿周那的箭雨压制得几乎难以招架。

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'vidārya', 'definition': 'having split, having torn asunder'}, {'term': 'jāla', 'definition': 'net

• here: a dense ‘net’/shower of arrows'}, {'term': 'indra-mukta', 'definition': 'released by Indra

• i.e., discharged through the Indra-weapon (a divine missile)'}, {'term': 'pārtha', 'definition': 'son of Pṛthā

• Arjuna'}, {'term': 'drauṇi', 'definition': 'son of Droṇa

• Aśvatthāmā'}, {'term': 'ratha', 'definition': 'chariot'}, {'term': 'kṣaṇena', 'definition': 'in a moment, instantly'}, {'term': 'abhyupetya', 'definition': 'approaching, closing in'}, {'term': 'pracchādayām āsa', 'definition': 'he covered/blanketed (with arrows), obscured from view'}, {'term': 'śara', 'definition': 'arrow'}, {'term': 'abhibhūtaḥ', 'definition': 'overpowered, overwhelmed'}]

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Arjuna (Pārtha)
• Aśvatthāmā (Drauṇi)
• Indra-weapon (Indrāstra)
• arrow-net (jāla of śaras)
• chariot (ratha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even when divine weapons are deployed, victory in dharmic battle hinges on composure, mastery, and timely action; Arjuna’s disciplined skill counters a formidable astra without losing strategic clarity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Aśvatthāmā releases an Indra-weapon producing a dense barrage of arrows; Arjuna splits that arrow-net, swiftly closes the distance, and blankets Aśvatthāmā’s chariot with his own arrows, leaving him momentarily overpowered.