Shloka 44

Devanagari script

व्यसने वर्तमानस्य कृतवर्मा नृशंसवत्‌ | अश्वान्‌ जघान सहसा तथोभीौ पार्ष्णिसारथी,“इस प्रकार जब वह संकटमें पड़ गया, तब कृतवर्माने क्रूर मनुष्यकी भाँति सहसा उसके घोड़ों तथा दोनों पार्श्वरक्षकोंकोी मार डाला

Transliteration

vyasane vartamānasya kṛtavarmā nṛśaṃsavat | aśvān jaghāna sahasā tathobhau pārṣṇisārathī ||

Translation

Sañjaya dit : «Lorsqu’il fut acculé au malheur, Kṛtavarmā—cruel comme un homme sans pitié—abattit soudain ses chevaux, et tua de même les deux gardes de flanc.»

Word by Word

व्यसनेin calamity/misfortune

वर्तमानस्यof (him) being/remaining (there)

कृतवर्माKṛtavarmā

नृशंसवत्cruelly; like a ruthless man

अश्वान्horses

जघानslew/killed

सहसाsuddenly; impetuously

तथाand likewise/also

उभौboth (two)

पार्ष्णिसारथीthe two charioteers/guards at the flanks (side-protectors)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Kṛtavarmā

horses (chariot team)

pārṣṇisārathī (two flank-guards/side charioteers)

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?

The verse highlights the ethical tension in war: when a combatant is already in distress, attacking his supports (horses and guards) is portrayed as nṛśaṃsa—merciless—suggesting a lapse from restrained kṣatriya conduct and a drift toward expediency over dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Kṛtavarmā, seeing an opponent in a vulnerable state, abruptly kills the chariot’s horses and then kills the two side-guards/flank charioteers, effectively disabling the chariot and stripping the warrior of protection.