Mahabharata · 7.40.4–5
॥
Devanāgarī
तस्याभिमन्युर् आयम्य स्मयन्न् एकेन पत्रिणा ॥
शिरः प्रच्यावयाम् आस स रथात् प्रापतद् भुवि ॥
कर्णिकारम् इवोद्धूतं वातेन मथितं नगात् ॥
भ्रातरं निहतं दृष्ट्वा राजन् कर्णो व्यथां ययौ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tasyābhimanyur āyamya smayann ekena patriṇā ||
śiraḥ pracyāvayām āsa sa rathāt prāpatad bhuvi ||
karṇikāram ivoddhūtaṃ vātena mathitaṃ nagāt ||
bhrātaraṃ nihataṃ dṛṣṭvā rājan karṇo vyathāṃ yayau ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तस्यtasyahis [Karna's brother's]; his
अभिमन्युःabhimanyuḥAbhimanyu; Abhimanyu
आयम्यāyamyahaving drawn [the bow]; having drawn [the bow]
स्मयन्smayansmiling [smirking]; smirking
एकेन पत्रिणाekena patriṇāwith one feathered [arrow]; with one feathered [arrow]
शिरःśiraḥhead; head
प्रच्यावयाम् आसpracyāvayām āsastruck off [severed]; severed
सःsaḥhe [Karna's brother]; he
रथात्rathātfrom the chariot; from the chariot
प्रापतत्prāpatatfell [collapsed]; fell
भुविbhuvito the ground; to the ground
कर्णिकारम्karṇikāram[the tree] karnikara; [like] a karnikara
इवivalike [as]; just as
उद्धूतम्uddhūtamtorn out [wrenched off]; wrenched off
वातेनvātenaby the wind; by the wind
मथितम्mathitambroken [uprooted]; uprooted
नगात्nagātfrom a mountain; from a mountain
भ्रातरम्bhrātarambrother; brother
निहतम्nihatamslain [struck down]; struck down
दृष्ट्वाdṛṣṭvāhaving seen; seeing
राजन्rājanO king; O king
कर्णःkarṇaḥKarna; Karna
व्यथाम्vyathāmanguish [grief]; grief
ययौyayaufell into [came to]; fell into
Translation
Having drawn [the bow], smirking, Abhimanyu severed his head with a single feathered arrow; he fell from the chariot to the ground, just as a karnikara wrenched off by the wind, uprooted from a mountain. Seeing his brother struck down, O king, Karna fell into grief.
Version
90cd22968212 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:22:09 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
With a single arrow the boy severs the head of the one who had wounded him with ten -- and does it 'smirking': a calm superiority, untroubled by strain. And at once a different note: fearsome Karna 'fell into grief' over his brother. Thus the tale, having shown the boy's valor, at once recalls the grief on the other side: every victory is someone's loss. It is telling that even in relentless Karna brotherly love still lives. The verse teaches that the summit of mastery is calm, even smiling; that behind every fallen man stands someone's grief, and even the most fearsome enemy can grieve for his own; and that the tale, placing side by side the victor's smile and the grief of a brother's loss, reveals the twofold nature of war -- one man's triumph is inseparable from another's sorrow.