Mahabharata · 7.104.32–33
॥
Devanāgarī
तम् अन्तर्धाय निनदं ध्वनिर् भीमस्य नर्दतः ॥
अश्रूयत महाराज सर्वसैन्येषु भारत ॥
ततो व्यायच्छताम् अस्त्रैः पृथक् पृथग् अरिंदमौ ॥
मृदुपूर्वं च राधेयो दृढपूर्वं च पाण्डवः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tam antardhāya ninadaṃ dhvanir bhīmasya nardataḥ ||
aśrūyata mahārāja sarvasainyeṣu bhārata ||
tato vyāyacchatām astraiḥ pṛthak pṛthag ariṃdamau ||
mṛdupūrvaṃ ca rādheyo dṛḍhapūrvaṃ ca pāṇḍavaḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तम् अन्तर्धाय निनदम्tam antardhāya ninadamthat, having drowned out the roar [of the conches]; having drowned out that din [of the conches]
ध्वनिः भीमस्य नर्दतःdhvaniḥ bhīmasya nardataḥthe sound of roaring Bhima; the cry of the roaring Bhima
अश्रूयत महाराजaśrūyata mahārājawas heard, O great king; was heard, O great king
सर्वसैन्येषु भारतsarvasainyeṣu bhārata[in] all the armies, O Bharata; in all the armies, O descendant of Bharata
ततः व्यायच्छताम् अस्त्रैःtataḥ vyāyacchatām astraiḥthen they strove with weapons; then they strove with weapons
पृथक् पृथक् अरिंदमौpṛthak pṛthak ariṃdamauseparately, the two tamers of foes; separately, the two tamers of enemies
मृदुपूर्वम् च राधेयःmṛdupūrvam ca rādheyaḥ[and] gently at first, the son of Radha; and gently at first — the son of Radha [Karna]
दृढपूर्वम् च पाण्डवःdṛḍhapūrvam ca pāṇḍavaḥ[and] firmly at first, the son of Pandu; and firmly at first — the son of Pandu
Translation
Drowning out that din of the conches, the cry of roaring Bhima was heard, O great king, in all the armies, O descendant of Bharata. Then the two tamers of foes strove with weapons, each in his own way — the son of Radha gently at first, and the son of Pandu firmly at first.
Version
7a1cb4021537 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:17:33 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
'Mṛdupūrvaṃ ca rādheyaḥ' — Karna fights gently at first: the hidden reason is his vow to Kunti to spare all the Pandavas save Arjuna. Behind a fearsome front lies a restrained fidelity to a given word. It is telling that even an enemy keeps a noble vow in secret. The verse teaches that beneath visible hostility a hidden nobility may be concealed: Karna strikes gently, holding a promise in his heart, and this secret faithfulness to his word exalts him even while he stands in the camp of untruth.