Shloka 8

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

Devanagari script

परेषां कदनं कृत्वा महारथविशारद: । परिवार्य महामात्रै: षड़भि: परमकै रथै:

Transliteration

pareṣāṁ kadanaṁ kṛtvā mahārathaviśāradaḥ | parivārya mahāmātraiḥ ṣaḍbhiḥ paramakai rathaiḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Nachdem er unter den Feinden ein großes Gemetzel angerichtet hatte, bewegte sich jener Meister unter den großen Wagenkämpfern über das Schlachtfeld, umringt von sechs hervorragenden Befehlshabern auf ihren erlesensten Streitwagen—ein Bild kriegerischer Tüchtigkeit und des düsteren, unaufhaltsamen Drängens des Krieges.

Word by Word

• परेषाम्: of others
• परेषाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• कदनम्: slaughter, destruction
• कदनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कृत्वा: having done
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वा)

• महारथविशारदः: skilled among great chariot-warriors
• महारथविशारदः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महारथविशारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• परिवार्य: having surrounded / having been surrounded (around)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + वृ (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive (ल्यप्/य)

• महामात्रैः: by great officers / commanders
• महामात्रैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• षड्भिः: with six
• षड्भिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षष् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• परमकैः: excellent, foremost
• परमकैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परमक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• रथैः: by chariots
• रथैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• संजय (Sañjaya)
• महामात्राः (high commanders/officers)
• रथाः (chariots)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the epic’s ethical tension: martial excellence and command structure can amplify destruction. It invites reflection on how skill, status, and organized power in war intensify harm, even when framed as kṣatriya duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that an expert great chariot-warrior, after inflicting heavy casualties on the opposing side, proceeds on the battlefield while being escorted/encircled by six high-ranking commanders in superb chariots.