Shloka 15
Śalya Appointed as Karṇa’s Sārathi; Discourse on Praise, Blame, and Beneficial Counsel (कर्णस्य शल्यसारथ्यं तथा स्तवनिन्दाविचारः)
धृष्टद्युम्नस्ततो राजन् शनकैरब्रवीद् वच:,राजन! यह सुनकर धृष्टद्युम्नने धीरेसे कहा--'सारथे! मेरे मनपर मोह छा रहा है और शरीरसे पसीना छूटने लगा है। मेरे सारे अंग काँप रहे हैं और रोमांच हो आया है
dhṛṣṭadyumnas tato rājan śanakair abravīd vacaḥ | rājann etac chrutvā dhṛṣṭadyumno dhīreṇa uvāca— “sārathē! mama manasi mohaḥ sañjāyate, śarīrāt svedaḥ prasravati | sarvāṇi me ’ṅgāni kampante, romāñcaś ca jātaḥ” ||
Sañjaya said: “O King, then Dhṛṣṭadyumna, speaking slowly, addressed these words. Having heard this, he said in a subdued voice: ‘Charioteer, delusion is overtaking my mind, sweat is breaking out from my body. All my limbs are trembling, and my hair stands on end.’”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, even amid a righteous cause, a warrior can be seized by moha (bewilderment) and bodily signs of fear. It implicitly raises the ethical demand of self-mastery: dharma in war is not only external action but also inner steadiness under the pressure of violence and responsibility.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Dhṛṣṭadyumna, after hearing something on the battlefield, speaks slowly to his charioteer and confesses acute distress—delusion in the mind, sweating, trembling limbs, and horripilation—signaling a sudden loss of composure in the midst of combat.