Shloka 10

Devanagari script

शतानीको नाकुलि: कर्णपुत्रं युवा युवानं वृषसेनं शरौचै: । समार्पयत्‌ कर्णपुत्रश्न शूर: पाज्चालेयं शरवर्षैरनेकै:

Transliteration

Śatānīko Nākuliḥ Karṇaputraṁ yuvā yuvānaṁ Vṛṣasenaṁ śaraughaiḥ | samārpayat Karṇaputraś ca śūraḥ Pāñcāleyaṁ śaravarṣair anekaiḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Der junge Śatānīka, Sohn Nakulas, bedrängte Karṇas Sohn — den jungen Vṛṣasena — mit Salven von Pfeilen. Und jener heldenhafte Sohn Karṇas wiederum traf den Fürsten von Pāñcāla mit vielen Pfeilschauern. So erwiderte im Gedränge der Schlacht jeder den Angriff des anderen mit gleicher Entschlossenheit und zeigte den Kodex des Kṣatriya: Kraft mit Kraft zu begegnen und vor der Gefahr nicht zu weichen.

Word by Word

शतानीकःŚatānīka (a warrior/son of Nakula)

नाकुलिःdescendant/son of Nakula

कर्णपुत्रम्Karna’s son

युवाyoung (man)

युवानम्young (man) (acc.)

वृषसेनम्Vṛṣasena

शरौघैःwith masses/streams of arrows

समार्पयत्delivered/handed over; struck down (contextually: brought under attack)

कर्णपुत्रःKarna’s son (Vṛṣasena)

चand

शूरःthe hero/brave one

पाञ्चालेयम्the Pāñcāla prince (Dhrṣṭadyumna/one of the Pāñcālas, context-dependent)

शरवर्षैःwith showers of arrows

अनेकैःmany

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Śatānīka (son of Nakula)

Nakula

Vṛṣasena (son of Karṇa)

Karṇa

Pāñcāla (Pāñcāla prince/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 Kṣatriya-dharma in its battlefield form: courage, steadfastness, and the principle of answering an opponent’s assault without retreat. Ethically, it portrays reciprocal engagement—each warrior meets the other directly, demonstrating resolve and martial responsibility.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a duel-like exchange: Śatānīka (Nakula’s son) attacks Vṛṣasena (Karṇa’s son) with volleys of arrows, and Vṛṣasena retaliates by striking a Pāñcāla prince with repeated showers of arrows, intensifying the clash among allied champions.