Shloka 95

Devanagari script

स ययौ घोररूपेण रथेन रथिनां वर: । द्वैरथं सूतपुत्रेण पुनरेव विशाम्पते,प्रजानाथ! ऐसा कहकर रथियोंमें श्रेष्ठ घटोत्कच पुनः: उस भयंकर रथके द्वारा सूतपुत्र कर्णके साथ द्वैरथ युद्ध करनेके लिये गया

Transliteration

sa yayau ghorarūpeṇa rathena rathināṃ varaḥ | dvairathaṃ sūtaputreṇa punar eva viśāmpate ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Then the foremost of chariot-warriors set forth again in his fearsome chariot, O lord of the people, to engage once more in a direct chariot-duel with Karṇa, the son of a sūta.

Word by Word

सःhe

ययौwent

घोररूपेणwith a terrible form/appearance

रथेनby/with the chariot

रथिनाम्of chariot-warriors

वरःthe best

द्वैरथम्a chariot-duel (single combat in chariots)

सूतपुत्रेणwith the charioteer’s son (Karna)

पुनःagain

एवindeed/just

विशाम्पतेO lord of the people

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Ghaṭotkaca

Karṇa

chariot (ratha)

dvairatha (chariot-duel)

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by viśāmpate)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the kṣatriya ethos of returning to face a worthy opponent in direct combat, emphasizing steadfast courage and the binding force of martial duty even amid a chaotic war.

What is happening in the narrative?

After speaking, Ghaṭotkaca—described as the foremost of chariot-fighters—drives his terrifying chariot back into action to fight a renewed one-on-one chariot duel with Karṇa, as Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra.