Shloka 15
Devanagari script
रथादाधिरथिरनूनं न्यपतत् सायकार्दित:
Transliteration
rathād ādhirathir anūnaṃ nyapatat sāyakārditaḥ
Translation
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “Struck and torn by arrows, the charioteer—Ādhirathi—fell down from the chariot, seemingly without life.”
Word by Word
रथात्from the chariot
रथात्:
Apadana
TypeNoun
Rootरथ
FormMasculine, Ablative, Singular
आधिरथिःAdhirathi (Karna)
आधिरथिः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootआधिरथि
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
अनूनम्surely, indeed
अनूनम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअनून
न्यपतत्fell down
न्यपतत्:
TypeVerb
Rootपत्
FormImperfect (Laṅ), Third, Singular
सायकार्दितःpierced/afflicted by arrows
सायकार्दितः:
TypeAdjective
Rootसायकार्दित
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
Speaker
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Characters & Entities
D
DhṛtarāṣṭraR
ratha (chariot)S
sāyaka (arrows)Ā
Ādhirathi (charioteer, as designated)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
The verse underscores the brutal impartiality of war: even essential supporters like charioteers are vulnerable. It implicitly highlights the ethical cost of conflict—how violence spreads beyond principal warriors and brings suffering to all who are involved.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra reports a battlefield moment: a charioteer referred to as Ādhirathi is struck by arrows and falls from the chariot, suggesting he has been incapacitated or killed, marking a sudden turn in the immediate combat scene.