Shloka 81

Devanagari script

स गाण्डिवव्यायतपूर्णमण्डल- स्तपन्‌ रिपूनर्जुनभास्करो बभौ । शरोग्ररश्मि: शुचिशुक्रमध्यगो यथैव सूर्य: परिवेषवांस्तथा

Transliteration

sa gāṇḍīvavyāyata-pūrṇamaṇḍalaḥ tapan ripūn arjuna-bhāskaro babhau | śarogra-raśmiḥ śuci-śukra-madhyago yathaiva sūryaḥ pariveṣavāṃs tathā ||

Translation

迦尔那说道：“阿周那如太阳般辉耀；他拉满的‘甘狄瓦’弯成完美的圆环。以箭锋为凶烈光芒，他灼烤敌军，宛如在耶湿吒与阿沙陀之间的明朗季中之日，周身环绕着光晕。”

Word by Word

• सः: he (that one)
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• गाण्डिव-व्यायत-पूर्ण-मण्डलः: having a full orb (circle) in the form of the stretched Gāṇḍīva (bow)
• गाण्डिव-व्यायत-पूर्ण-मण्डलः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गाण्डिव + व्यायत + पूर्ण + मण्डल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तपन्: scorching, tormenting
• तपन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• रिपून्: enemies
• रिपून्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रिपु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अर्जुन-भास्करः: Arjuna as the sun (sun-like Arjuna)
• अर्जुन-भास्करः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुन + भास्कर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• बभौ: shone, appeared splendid
• बभौ: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: भा
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• शर-उग्र-रश्मिः: whose fierce rays are arrows
• शर-उग्र-रश्मिः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शर + उग्र + रश्मि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शुचि-शुक्र-मध्यगः: situated in the middle of the bright (months) Śuci and Śukra
• शुचि-शुक्र-मध्यगः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि + शुक्र + मध्यग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• एव: indeed, exactly
• एव: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• सूर्यः: the sun
• सूर्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• परिवेषवान्: having a halo (pariveṣa)
• परिवेषवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परिवेषवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तथा: so, in that manner
• तथा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Karna
• Arjuna
• Gāṇḍīva (bow)
• Sun (Sūrya/Bhāskara)
• Jyeṣṭha (month/seasonal marker)
• Āṣāḍha (month/seasonal marker)
• Pariveṣa (solar halo)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how extraordinary power, when directed in war, becomes both illuminating and scorching: Arjuna’s brilliance inspires awe yet brings suffering to foes. Ethically, it reflects the kṣatriya ideal—skill and intensity employed in battle as duty—while reminding that radiance (tejas) can be protective for one side and destructive for another.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna is describing Arjuna on the battlefield. With Gāṇḍīva fully drawn, Arjuna appears like a halo-circled sun; his arrows are compared to fierce rays that burn and torment the enemy ranks.