Shloka 78

Devanagari script

यथोग्ररश्मि: शुचिशुक्रम ध्यग: सुखं विवस्वान्‌ हरते जलौघान्‌ | तथार्जुनो बाणगणान्‌ निरस्य ददाह सेनां तव पार्थिवेन्द्र

Transliteration

yathogra-raśmiḥ śuci-śukra-madhyagaḥ sukhaṁ vivasvān harate jalaughān | tathārjuno bāṇa-gaṇān nirasyā dadāha senāṁ tava pārthivendra rājendra ||

Translation

迦尔那说道：“正如烈日于明朗的季中放射凶猛光芒，轻易吸尽大地汇聚的水泽；同样，阿周那以箭雨齐发，开始将你的军队焚作灰烬，噢万王之主。”

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• उग्र-रश्मिः: having fierce rays
• उग्र-रश्मिः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उग्ररश्मि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शुचि-शुक्रम्: pure and bright (radiance)
• शुचि-शुक्रम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचिशुक्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• मध्यगः: being in the middle
• मध्यगः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्यग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सुखम्: easily, effortlessly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सुख

• विवस्वान्: the Sun (Vivasvat)
• विवस्वान्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवस्वत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• हरते: takes away, removes
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• जल-ओघान्: masses/streams of water
• जल-ओघान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: जलौघ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• तथा: so, likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• अर्जुनः: Arjuna
• अर्जुनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• बाण-गणान्: groups/volleys of arrows
• बाण-गणान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाणगण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• निरस्य: having cast/thrown (forth)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्+अस्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada/General

• ददाह: burned, set ablaze
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सेनाम्: army
• सेनाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेना
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• तव: your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• पार्थिव-इन्द्र: O king of kings (lord of rulers)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिवेन्द्र
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• राज-इन्द्र: O king of kings
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजेन्द्र
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Karna
• Arjuna
• Vivasvān (Sun)
• army (senā)
• arrows (bāṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the overwhelming, seemingly unstoppable momentum of martial power in war: when a great force is unleashed, it can operate with the inevitability of nature. Ethically, it also hints at the tragedy of battle—human lives and armies can be consumed as effortlessly as the sun dries up waters—inviting reflection on the cost of kṣatriya violence even when pursued as duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna describes to his king (addressed as ‘pārthivendra, rājendra’) how Arjuna is attacking: Arjuna releases dense volleys of arrows and is burning/annihilating the opposing army. Karna uses a simile of the blazing sun in mid-season drawing up water to convey the ease and intensity of Arjuna’s destruction.