Shloka 40

अध्याय ६० — कर्णस्य पाञ्चाल-सोमक-निग्रहः

Karna’s Suppression of the Panchala–Somaka Forces

Devanagari script

स दृष्टवा प्रद्रुतां सेनां धार्तराष्ट्रस्य सूतज: । निवारयामास बलादनुसूृत्य विशाम्पते,प्रजानाथ! दुर्योधनकी सेनाको भागती देख सूतपुत्र कर्णने बलपूर्वक पीछा करके उसे रोका

Transliteration

sa dṛṣṭvā pradrutāṃ senāṃ dhārtarāṣṭrasya sūtajaḥ | nivārayāmāsa balād anusṛtya viśāmpate prajānātha ||

Translation

Dijo Sañjaya: Al ver al ejército de Dhārtarāṣṭra huir, Karṇa —el hijo del auriga— los persiguió y, por la fuerza, contuvo su retirada, oh señor del pueblo, protector de los súbditos.

Word by Word

सःhe (Karna)

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

प्रद्रुताम्fleeing, running away

सेनाम्army

धार्तराष्ट्रस्यof Dhritarashtra’s (i.e., of the Kaurava)

सूतजःthe charioteer’s son (Karna)

निवारयामासchecked, restrained, stopped

बलात्by force, forcibly

अनुसृत्यhaving pursued, following after

विशाम्पतेO lord of the people

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Karṇa

Dhārtarāṣṭra army (Kaurava forces)

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Duryodhana (implied by context of his army)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid a morally compromised war, a leader’s immediate battlefield dharma includes preventing rout, restoring discipline, and protecting the collective from the cascading harm caused by fear and disorder.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna sees the Kaurava (Dhārtarāṣṭra) troops fleeing. He pursues them and forcibly halts their retreat, attempting to re-form the line and keep Duryodhana’s side from collapsing.