Shloka 70

दुर्योधन-कर्ण-संवादः

Duryodhana–Karna Dialogue on Vyūha-bheda and Daiva

Devanagari script

तस्य सूते हते ते5श्वा रथमादाय विद्रुता:

Transliteration

tasya sūte hate te ’śvā ratham ādāya vidrutāḥ

Translation

قال سنجيا: فلما قُتل سائقه، اندفعت تلك الخيول وهي تجرّ العربة معها هاربةً—صورةٌ تُبيّن كيف ينهار، في فوضى الحرب، أدقّ نظامٍ قتاليّ إذا زالت اليد التي تهديه.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him/that (person)
• तस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• सूते: when/while the charioteer (was ...)
• सूते: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• हते: having been slain/killed
• हते: Adhikarana
• Type: Participle
• Root: हन्
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular, Passive (PPP)

• ते: those/they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अश्वाः: horses
• अश्वाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• रथम्: the chariot
• रथम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आदाय: having taken/after taking
• आदाय: Kriya-vishesana
• Type: Verbal Indeclinable (Gerund)
• Root: आ-दा
• Form: क्त्वान्त (gerund/absolutive)

• विद्रुताः: ran away/fled
• विद्रुताः: Karta
• Type: Participle
• Root: वि-द्रु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, Active (past participle)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• charioteer (sūta)
• horses (aśvāḥ)
• chariot (ratha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a practical ethical insight of war and governance: when the guiding agent (the charioteer/leader) is removed, even powerful instruments (horses/forces) can become directionless and destructive, showing the fragility of order amid violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that after a warrior’s charioteer is killed, the horses panic and run off, dragging the chariot away—signaling a sudden tactical breakdown on the battlefield.