Mahabharata · 1.127.8–9
॥
Devanāgarī
एवम् उक्तस् ततः कर्णः किं चित् प्रस्फुरिताधरः ॥
गगनस्थं विनिःश्वस्य दिवाकरम् उदैक्षत ॥
ततो दुर्योधनः कोपाद् उत्पपात महाबलः ॥
भ्रातृपद्मवनात् तस्मान् मदोत्कट इव द्विपः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
evam uktas tataḥ karṇaḥ kiṃ cit prasphuritādharaḥ ||
gaganasthaṃ viniḥśvasya divākaram udaikṣata ||
tato duryodhanaḥ kopād utpapāta mahābalaḥ ||
bhrātṛpadmavanāt tasmān madotkaṭa iva dvipaḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
एवम् उक्तः ततः कर्णः किं चित् प्रस्फुरिताधरःevam uktaḥ tataḥ karṇaḥ kiṃ cit prasphuritādharaḥthus rebuked, Karna, his lip trembling slightly,
गगनस्थं विनिःश्वस्य दिवाकरम् उदैक्षतgaganasthaṃ viniḥśvasya divākaram udaikṣatasighing, gazed up at the sun standing in the sky
ततः दुर्योधनः कोपात् उत्पपात महाबलःtataḥ duryodhanaḥ kopāt utpapāta mahābalaḥthen Duryodhana, mighty in strength, leapt up in anger
भ्रातृपद्मवनात् तस्मात् मदोत्कटः इव द्विपःbhrātṛpadmavanāt tasmāt madotkaṭaḥ iva dvipaḥfrom that lotus-grove of brothers, like a maddened elephant
उक्तस्uktasoriginal form "uktas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ततोtatooriginal form "tato", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कोपाद्kopādoriginal form "kopād", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तस्मान्tasmānoriginal form "tasmān", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मदोत्कटmadotkaṭaoriginal form "madotkaṭa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
Thus rebuked, Karna, his lip trembling slightly, sighed and gazed up at the sun standing in the sky; then Duryodhana, mighty in strength, leapt up in anger from that lotus-grove of brothers, like a maddened elephant.
Version
accc5d087339 · published Jul 12, 2026, 4:53:32 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here Karna's silence speaks louder than words. It is telling that, wounded, he does not answer with abuse but only sighs and looks at the sun: the magnanimous bear insult in silence. There is something moving here too: he unknowingly turns his gaze to the sun — to his unseen father Surya — as if seeking comfort from him, without knowing why. It is telling, too, that Duryodhana rises as the champion of the humiliated one: even in an unrighteous man there is capacity for devoted friendship and for standing up for a wronged friend. Thus scripture reveals Karna's silent dignity and prepares the way for Duryodhana's speech, seemingly noble, in which the villain will unexpectedly utter what is just.