Shloka 21

अध्याय १५९ — रात्रौ श्रमविरामः

Night Exhaustion and Brief Pause in Battle

Devanagari script

ततो वृकरथो नाम भ्राता कर्णस्य विश्रुत:

Transliteration

tato vṛkaratho nāma bhrātā karṇasya viśrutaḥ

Translation

Then there appeared one named Vṛkaratha, the renowned brother of Karṇa.

Word by Word

• ततः: then; thereupon; from that (point)
• ततः: Apadana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात् अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (पञ्चमी-अर्थे: 'from/thereupon')

• वृकरथः: Vṛkaratha (lit. 'wolf-chariot', a proper name)
• वृकरथः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृकरथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नाम: by name; named
• नाम: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (नाम-निर्देशे)

• भ्राता: brother
• भ्राता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कर्णस्य: of Karṇa
• कर्णस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• विश्रुतः: renowned; well-known
• विश्रुतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश्रुत (वि-श्रु धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Vṛkaratha
• Karṇa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how, in epic warfare, individuals are often introduced and remembered through relationships (bhrātā) and reputation (viśrutaḥ). It subtly points to the ethical tension that fame and family identity persist even when the battlefield reduces people to opponents.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya, narrating events to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, introduces a warrior named Vṛkaratha, identifying him as Karṇa’s renowned brother, signaling his entry or relevance in the ongoing combat sequence.