Shloka 85

अध्याय ९ — कर्णस्य प्रहारः, योधयुग्मनियोजनम्, शैनेय-कैकेययोर्युद्धविन्यासः

Devanagari script

दृष्टवा विनिहतं कर्ण सारथ्ये रथिनां वर: । किमभाषत वीरौ5सौ मद्राणामधिपो बली

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā vinihataṁ karṇaṁ sārathye rathināṁ varaḥ | kim abhāṣata vīro 'sau madrāṇām adhipo balī ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: Als er Karṇa erschlagen sah, erhob jener mächtige Held—der Herr der Madras, berühmt als der beste Wagenlenker unter den Wagenkämpfern—seine Stimme. Was sagte er in diesem Augenblick?

Word by Word

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

विनिहतम्slain, killed

कर्णम्Karna

सारथ्येin (the role of) charioteering / as charioteer

रथिनाम्of the chariot-warriors

वरःthe best

किम्what

अभाषतsaid, spoke

वीरौthe two heroes

असौthat (man), he

मद्राणाम्of the Madras

अधिपःlord, ruler

बलीmighty, strong

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Karṇa

Madrāṇām adhipaḥ (Śalya, king of Madra)

sārathi (charioteer role)

rathin (chariot-warriors)

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 underscores the instability of worldly power in war: even a foremost warrior like Karṇa can be struck down, and the ethical weight shifts to how survivors respond—through speech that may judge, lament, justify, or reaffirm dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Karṇa’s death, the narrator signals a new focus: Śalya, the king of Madra serving as Karṇa’s charioteer, sees him slain and speaks. The verse functions as a lead-in to Śalya’s immediate reaction and its consequences in the battle narrative.