Shloka 38

अध्याय २६ — शल्यस्य सारथ्य-नियोजनं, कर्णस्य प्रस्थानं, उत्पातदर्शनं च

Chapter 26: Śalya appointed as charioteer; Karṇa’s departure; portents

Devanagari script

नासीच्चक्रपथस्तत्र पाण्डवस्य महात्मन:

Transliteration

nāsīc cakrapathas tatra pāṇḍavasya mahātmanaḥ

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Dort war für jenen großgesinnten Pāṇḍava keine Spur der Wagenradbahn zu sehen—ein Zeichen für das Getöse der Schlacht und für die außerordentliche Schnelligkeit und Kunst, mit der er sich bewegte, sodass kein deutlicher Abdruck blieb, dem andere hätten folgen können.

Word by Word

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• आसीत्: was/existed
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (भू)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect/past), 3rd, singular, parasmaipada

• चक्रपथः: wheel-track; path made by wheels
• चक्रपथः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्रपथ
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• पाण्डवस्य: of the Pandava
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: masculine, genitive, singular

• महात्मनः: of the great-souled (one)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: masculine, genitive, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Pāṇḍava (Arjuna / a son of Pāṇḍu)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how excellence in one’s rightful duty (kṣatriya-dharma in battle) can appear almost superhuman: disciplined mastery and focused action leave opponents unable to anticipate or trace one’s course.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes the battlefield scene where the great Pāṇḍava’s chariot movement is so swift or tumultuous amid dust and combat that no wheel-track is visible, emphasizing his dominance and agility in the fight.