Shloka 9

Devanagari script

तयोरेवं युद्धातोराजिमध्ये सूतात्मजो5भूदधिक: कदाचित्‌ । पार्थ: कदाचित्‌ त्वधिक: किरीटी वीयस्त्रिमायाबलपौरुषेण,इस प्रकार संग्रामभूमिमें ज़ूझते समय उन दोनों वीरोंमें पराक्रम, अस्त्रसंचालन, मायाबल तथा पुरुषार्थकी दृष्टिसे कभी सूतपुत्र कर्ण बढ़ जाता था और कभी किरीटधारी अर्जुन

Transliteration

tayor evaṁ yuddhator ājimadhye sūtātmajo ’bhūd adhikaḥ kadācit | pārthaḥ kadācit tv adhikaḥ kirīṭī vīryāstramāyābalapauruṣeṇa ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: „So kämpften sie mitten in der Schlachtreihe: bald gewann Karṇa, der Sohn des Wagenlenkers, die Oberhand, bald siegte Pārtha Arjuna, der Diademträger—durch Tapferkeit, Waffenmeisterschaft, strategische List (māyā), Kraft und schiere menschliche Anstrengung.“

Word by Word

तयोःof those two

एवम्thus

युद्धातोः(while) the two fight

राजिin the line/array (of battle)

मध्येin the middle

सूतात्मजःthe charioteer’s son (Karna)

अभूत्became/was

अधिकःsuperior

कदाचित्at times

पार्थःPartha (Arjuna)

कदाचित्at times

तुbut/and

अधिकःsuperior

किरीटीthe diadem-wearer (Arjuna)

वीयःby valor/strength

त्रिthreefold/three (as prefix)

मायाby illusion/stratagem

बलby strength

पौरुषेणby manly effort/heroism

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Karṇa (Sūtātmaja)

Arjuna (Pārtha, Kirīṭī)

battlefield (āji)

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 the instability of advantage in war: superiority alternates based on valor, weapon-skill, strategy, strength, and personal exertion. It suggests that outcomes in conflict are dynamic and contingent, not fixed to one hero at every moment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Karṇa and Arjuna are engaged in a direct duel in the thick of battle, and that the upper hand shifts back and forth between them.