Linux
Turn pages
Mahabharata · 7.46.18–19
॥
Санджая
Devanāgarī
कर्णो द्वाविंशतिं भल्लान् कृतवर्मा चतुर्दश ॥
बृहद्बलस् तु पञ्चाशत् कृपः शारद्वतो दश ॥
तांस् तु प्रत्यवधीत् सर्वान् दशभिर् दशभिः शरैः ॥
तैर् अर्द्यमानः सौभद्रः सर्वतो निशितैः शरैः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
karṇo dvāviṃśatiṃ bhallān kṛtavarmā caturdaśa ||
bṛhadbalas tu pañcāśat kṛpaḥ śāradvato daśa ||
tāṃs tu pratyavadhīt sarvān daśabhir daśabhiḥ śaraiḥ ||
tair ardyamānaḥ saubhadraḥ sarvato niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
कर्णःkarṇaḥKarna; Karna
द्वाविंशतिम्dvāviṃśatimtwenty-two; twenty-two
भल्लान्bhallānbhalla arrows [broad-headed shafts]; [arrows-]bhallas
कृतवर्माkṛtavarmāKritavarman; Kritavarman
चतुर्दशcaturdaśafourteen [arrows]; fourteen
बृहद्बलःbṛhadbalaḥBrihadbala; Brihadbala
तुtubut; —
पञ्चाशत्pañcāśatfifty [arrows]; fifty
कृपः शारद्वतःkṛpaḥ śāradvataḥKripa, son of Sharadvata; Kripa Sharadvata
दशdaśaten [arrows]; ten
तान्tānthem; them
तुtubut; —
प्रत्यवधीत्pratyavadhītstruck back [wounded in return]; struck back
सर्वान्sarvānall; all
दशभिः दशभिःdaśabhiḥ daśabhiḥwith ten each; with ten each
शरैःśaraiḥarrows; arrows
तैःtaiḥby them; by them
अर्द्यमानःardyamānaḥbeing tormented [battered]; being battered
सौभद्रःsaubhadraḥson of Subhadra [Abhimanyu]; son of Subhadra
सर्वतःsarvataḥfrom all sides; from all sides
निशितैः शरैःniśitaiḥ śaraiḥwith sharp arrows; with sharp arrows
Translation
Karna -- twenty-two bhalla arrows, Kritavarman -- fourteen, Brihadbala -- fifty, Kripa Sharadvata -- ten [they loosed upon him]. But he struck back all of them, ten arrows each, though himself battered from all sides with their sharp arrows.
Version
a429fd466ea1 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:30:04 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Six strike the youth from every side, showering him with hundreds of arrows -- and he answers each one, passing over none. Thus disproportion is shown alongside unbending resolve: one, battered from all directions, leaves no one unanswered. It is significant that the tradition keeps an exact tally of the blows on both sides -- exposing how many fell upon the child. The verse teaches that the valiant, pressed on every side, does not fix upon a single foe at the expense of the rest, but repays each one; that the measure of a hero is not only to withstand the hail but to answer it with strikes of his own; and that the exact count of arrows with which six showered a single youth forever bears witness to the lawlessness of a mob against a child who answered them alone.