Shloka 13

Devanagari script

शतानीकं महाराज श्रुतकर्मा सुतस्तव । व्यश्वसूतरथं चक्रे निमेषार्धादसम्भ्रम:,महाराज! दूसरी ओर आपके पुत्र श्रुतकर्मने बिना किसी घबराहटके आधे निमेषयमें ही शतानीकके रथको घोड़ों और सारथिसे शून्य कर दिया

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | śatānīkaṃ mahārāja śrutakarmā sutas tava | vyaśvasūtarathaṃ cakre nimeṣārdhād asambhramaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: O great king, your son Śrutakarmā, without the least agitation, in but half a blink of an eye, rendered Śatānīka’s chariot bereft of horses and charioteer.

Word by Word

शतानीकम्Shatānīka (name of a warrior)

महाराजO great king

श्रुतकर्माŚrutakarmā (name of your son)

सुतःson

तवof you / your

व्यश्वसूतरथम्deprived of horses and charioteer (as a chariot)

चक्रेmade / rendered

निमेषार्धात्within half a blink (of an eye)

असम्भ्रमःunflustered / without confusion

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Śrutakarmā

Śatānīka

chariot

horses

charioteer

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 war-time ideal of controlled action: effectiveness without panic (asambhrama). It implicitly contrasts disciplined composure with fear-driven violence, showing how inner steadiness can govern outward force—even in ethically fraught battle.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Śrutakarmā, the king’s son, swiftly disabled Śatānīka’s chariot by eliminating its horses and charioteer, leaving the chariot functionally neutralized in an instant.