Shloka 22

Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 54 — Missile-Exchange and Tactical Redirection

Arjuna, Aśvatthāman, Karṇa

Devanagari script

तावुत्तमौ सर्वधनुर्धराणां महाबलौ सर्वसपत्नसाहौ । कर्णस्य पार्थस्य निशम्य युद्ध दिदृक्षमाणा: कुरवो5भितस्थु:,वे दोनों ही सम्पूर्ण धनुर्धर वीरोंमें श्रेष्ठ महान्‌ बलवान्‌ तथा समस्त शत्रुओंका वेग सहन करनेवाले थे। कर्ण और अर्जुनका युद्ध सुनकर समस्त कौरववीर उसे देखनेके लिये दर्शकोंकी भाँति खड़े हो गये

Transliteration

tāv uttamau sarva-dhanurdharāṇāṁ mahābalau sarva-sapatna-sāhau | karṇasya pārthasya niśamya yuddhaṁ didṛkṣamāṇāḥ kuravo ’bhitasthuḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说：那二人乃诸弓手之冠，力大无俦，能承受一切对手的冲击。听闻迦尔纳与帕尔塔（阿周那）已交战，俱卢诸将便聚拢而来，环立四周，渴望观战，宛如看客。

Word by Word

• {'tāv': 'those two', 'uttamau': 'the best, foremost', 'sarva-dhanurdharāṇām': 'of all bow-bearers

• of all archers', 'mahābalau': 'very powerful, of great strength (dual)', 'sarva-sapatna-sāhau': 'able to endure/withstand all rivals/enemies', 'karṇasya': 'of Karṇa', 'pārthasya': 'of Pārtha (Arjuna, son of Pṛthā)', 'niśamya': 'having heard, on hearing', 'yuddham': 'battle, combat', 'didṛkṣamāṇāḥ': 'wishing to see, eager to behold', 'kuravaḥ': 'the Kurus

• Kuru warriors', 'abhitasthuḥ': 'stood around, took their stand on all sides'}

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Karṇa
• Pārtha (Arjuna)
• Kuravaḥ (Kuru warriors)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how extraordinary martial excellence draws collective attention and shapes the morale of armies; it also hints at the ethical tension of war as it becomes a spectacle, where warriors are judged by prowess as much as by purpose.

What is happening in the narrative?

News spreads that Karṇa and Arjuna are fighting. Recognizing them as the greatest of archers and immensely powerful, the Kuru warriors gather and stand around to watch the duel.