Shloka 43

Gadāyuddhe Kṛṣṇopadeśaḥ (Kṛṣṇa’s Counsel in the Mace-Duel) — Śalya-parva 57

Devanagari script

स सव्यं मण्डलं राजा उदशभ्राम्य कृतनिश्चय:

Transliteration

sa savyaṁ maṇḍalaṁ rājā udaśabhrāmya kṛtaniścayaḥ

Translation

Sañjaya dijo: El rey, habiendo tomado una resolución firme, giró en un círculo hacia la izquierda—volviendo su carro con intención deliberada, como quien ha elegido su rumbo bajo la presión moral de la guerra.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सव्यम्: left (side/direction)
• सव्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सव्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• मण्डलम्: circle; circuit
• मण्डलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मण्डल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उदशभ्राम्य: having wheeled/turned about (moving around)
• उदशभ्राम्य: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम्
• Form: Absolutive/Conjunctive participle (Gerund) used adverbially, Parasmaipada, उद् + आ + √भ्रम् + ल्यप् (gerund)

• कृतनिश्चयः: one whose resolve is made; determined
• कृतनिश्चयः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृतनिश्चय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• संजय (Sañjaya)
• राजा (the king)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights niścaya (firm resolve): in the turmoil of battle, decisive commitment and purposeful action are portrayed as essential qualities of a ruler, carrying ethical weight because choices in war have grave consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that the king executes a leftward circular turn (a wheeling maneuver), indicating a deliberate repositioning or tactical movement after arriving at a settled decision.