Shloka 30

कर्ण-पाण्डव-संमर्दः — Karṇa and Arjuna’s Intensified Engagement

Devanagari script

ऋक्षवर्णान्‌ हयान्‌ कर्कर्मिश्रान्‌ मारुतरंहस: । निरीक्ष्य तव पुत्राणां हाहाकृतमभूद्‌ बलम्‌,रीछके समान रंगवाले और वायुके समान वेगशाली घोड़ोंको श्वेत अश्वोंके साथ मिला हुआ देख आपके पुत्रोंकी सेनामें हाहाकार मच गया

Transliteration

ṛkṣavarṇān hayān karkarmiśrān mārutaraṃhasaḥ | nirīkṣya tava putrāṇāṃ hāhākṛtam abhūd balam ||

Translation

قال سانجيا: لما رأى جيادًا سريعة كالرّيح، بلونٍ كالدُّبّ ومُرقَّطة، قد اختلطت بين الخيل البيضاء، اضطرب جيشُ أبنائك وارتفع فيه صراخُ الفزع.

Word by Word

ऋक्षवर्णान्bear-colored (dark) [ones]

हयान्horses

कर्कर्मिश्रान्mixed with white (spotted/variegated with white)

मारुतरंहसःwind-swift (having the speed of the wind)

निरीक्ष्यhaving seen / after observing

तवof you / your

पुत्राणाम्of (your) sons

हाहाकृतम्a cry of ‘hā hā’ / an outcry

अभूत्arose / happened / became

बलम्the army/force

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by 'tava')

Kaurava army (tava putrāṇāṃ balam)

horses (hayāḥ)

white horses (śveta aśvāḥ, implied by the Hindi gloss)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how perception and morale shape warfare: swift movement and striking formations can break an army’s confidence, showing that fear spreads quickly when order and certainty collapse.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that, upon seeing very fast, bear-coloured and dappled horses appearing mixed among white steeds, the Kaurava forces (the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra) erupted in an alarmed uproar, indicating confusion and panic in their ranks.