Shloka 29

कर्णस्य सेनापत्याभिषेकः | Karṇa’s Consecration as Commander-in-Chief

Devanagari script

सेनाविन्दुसुतः श्रेष्ठ: शात्रवान्‌ प्रहरन्‌ युधि

Transliteration

senāvindusutaḥ śreṣṭhaḥ śātravān praharan yudhi

Translation

Sañjaya sagte: Mitten im Getümmel schlug der vortreffliche Sohn Senāvindus im Kampf auf die Feinde ein und trieb die Schlacht mit unbeugsamer Kriegskraft voran — ein Bild der Tüchtigkeit, das im ethischen Rahmen des Mahābhārata zugleich zeigt, wie Tapferkeit im Krieg gerühmt werden kann, selbst wenn sie der düsteren Maschinerie brudermörderischen Streits dient.

Word by Word

• सेनाविन्दुसुतः: the son of Senābindu
• सेनाविन्दुसुतः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेनाविन्दु-सुत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• श्रेष्ठः: excellent, best
• श्रेष्ठः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शात्रवान्: enemies
• शात्रवान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शात्रव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• प्रहरन्: striking, smiting
• प्रहरन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-हृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, शतृ (present active participle)

• युधि: in battle
• युधि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युध्
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Senāvindu
• Senāvindu’s son (unnamed here)
• enemies/foes (śātravāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights martial excellence (śreṣṭhatva) in the performance of battle-duty, reflecting the epic’s recurring tension: kṣatriya valor is praised as dharma in war, yet it unfolds within a tragic, destructive conflict that tests the moral limits of duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the foremost son of Senāvindu is actively striking the enemy in combat, indicating a moment of intense fighting and the prominence of a particular warrior on the battlefield.