Shloka 20

धनंजय-दुर्योधन-संग्रामः

Arjuna–Duryodhana Engagement and Admonition

Devanagari script

सो<मृष्यमाण: कर्णस्य निषड्रस्यावलम्बनम्‌ | चिच्छेद निशिताग्रेण शरेण नतपर्वणा,फिर तो आकाशमें सब ओर भयंकर बाणोंके समूह उड़ने लगे। अर्जुनसे यह सहन न हो सका; अतः उन्होंने झुकी हुई गाँठ एवं तीखी नोकवाले बाणसे कर्णके घोड़ोंको बींध डाला। भुजाओंमें भी गहरी चोट पहुँचायी और हाथोंके दस्तानोंको भी पृथक्‌-पृथक्‌ विदीर्ण कर दिया। इतना ही नहीं, कर्णके भाथा लटकानेकी रस्सीको भी काट गिराया

Transliteration

so 'mṛṣyamāṇaḥ karṇasya niṣaḍrasyāvalambanam | ciccheda niśitāgreṇa śareṇa nataparvaṇā ||

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说：他无法忍受迦尔那的逞威，便以一支尖锐、节处弯曲的箭，斩断了迦尔那悬挂箭囊的带子。

Word by Word

सःhe (Arjuna)

अमृष्यमाणःnot enduring, unable to tolerate

कर्णस्यof Karna

निषङ्गस्यof the quiver

अवलम्बनम्the strap/support (hanging attachment)

चिच्छेदcut, severed

निशिताग्रेणwith a sharp-pointed (one)

शरेणwith an arrow

नतपर्वणाwith (an arrow) having bent/curved joints (nodes)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Karṇa

niṣaḍra (quiver)

avalambanam (quiver-strap)

śara (arrow)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a dharmic dimension of warfare: victory is pursued through skill and presence of mind, including disabling an opponent’s means (like weapons or gear) to restrain arrogance and prevent further harm, rather than relying only on brute force.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the midst of battle, the warrior (contextually Arjuna) cannot tolerate Karṇa’s challenge and cuts the strap supporting Karṇa’s quiver with a sharp arrow, thereby impairing Karṇa’s readiness and disrupting his fighting capacity.