Shloka 80

अध्याय ९ — कर्णस्य प्रहारः, योधयुग्मनियोजनम्, शैनेय-कैकेययोर्युद्धविन्यासः

Devanagari script

कृतवर्मा महेष्वास: सात्वतानां महारथ:

Transliteration

kṛtavarmā maheṣvāsaḥ sātvatānāṁ mahārathaḥ

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Kṛtavarmā, a mighty archer and a foremost great chariot-warrior among the Sātvatas, is here identified—marking his stature and martial authority amid the unfolding violence of the Karṇa Parva battles.

Word by Word

• कृतवर्मा: Kritavarman
• कृतवर्मा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृतवर्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महेष्वासः: a great archer (lit. one having a great bow)
• महेष्वासः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महेष्वास
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सात्वतानाम्: of the Sātvatas (Vrishni/Yādava clan)
• सात्वतानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सात्वत
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• महारथः: a great chariot-warrior
• महारथः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Kṛtavarmā
• Sātvatas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores how epic narrative frames ethical and martial responsibility through identity and rank: a warrior is introduced not merely by name, but by recognized capability (maheṣvāsa) and battlefield status (mahāratha), implying the weight of his actions in war.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator Vaiśampāyana is naming and characterizing Kṛtavarmā, emphasizing that he is a premier archer and a leading chariot-warrior among the Sātvatas, as part of the ongoing cataloging and movement of key fighters in the Karṇa Parva conflict.