Shloka 89

अध्याय ९ — कर्णस्य प्रहारः, योधयुग्मनियोजनम्, शैनेय-कैकेययोर्युद्धविन्यासः

Devanagari script

केडरक्षन्‌ दक्षिणं चक्र सूतपुत्रस्य युध्यत: । वाम॑ चक्र ररक्षुर्वा के वा वीरस्य पृष्ठत:,युद्ध करते समय भी वीर सूतपुत्रके दाहिने पहियेकी रक्षा कौन-कौन कर रहे थे? अथवा उसके बायें पहिये या पृष्ठभागकी रक्षामें कौन-कौन वीर नियुक्त थे?

Transliteration

ke rakṣan dakṣiṇaṃ cakraṃ sūtaputrasya yudhyataḥ | vāmaṃ cakraṃ rarakṣur vā ke vā vīrasya pṛṣṭhataḥ ||

Translation

যুদ্ধরত বীর সূতপুত্রের রথের দক্ষিণ চক্র কে কে রক্ষা করছিল? অথবা বাম চক্র, কিংবা বীরের পৃষ্ঠদেশ রক্ষায় কোন কোন যোদ্ধা নিযুক্ত ছিল?

Word by Word

केwho (which persons)

अरक्षन्protected/guarded

दक्षिणम्right (side)

चक्रम्wheel

सूतपुत्रस्यof the charioteer’s son (Karna)

युध्यतःwhile fighting / of (him) fighting

वामम्left (side)

चक्रम्wheel

ररक्षुःprotected/guarded

वाor

केwho

वाor

वीरस्यof the hero

पृष्ठतःfrom behind / at the back

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

व

वैशम्पायन (Vaiśampāyana)

स

सूतपुत्र (Sūtaputra—Karna)

च

चक्र (chariot wheel)

प

पृष्ठ (rear of the chariot/warrior)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the disciplined, collective dimension of warfare: a great warrior’s effectiveness depends not only on personal valor but also on coordinated protection—especially of vulnerable points like the chariot’s wheels and rear—reflecting strategic duty (kṣātra-dharma) and mutual reliance in battle.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator Vaiśampāyana poses a clarifying question about the battlefield arrangement around Karṇa: which warriors were stationed to guard the right wheel, the left wheel, and the rear while Karṇa fought—setting up identification of his protectors and the tactical situation.