Shloka 6

Devanagari script

हताश्चमञ्जोगतिभशि: प्रसेन: शिनिप्रवीरं निशितै: पृषत्कैः | प्रच्छाद्य नृत्यन्निव कर्णपुत्र: शैनेयबाणाभिहत: पपात,उधर कर्णने जब सात्यकिके घोड़े मार डाले, तब कर्णपुत्र प्रसेनने तीव्रगामी पैने बाणोंद्वारा शिनिप्रवर सात्यकिको ढक दिया। इसके बाद सात्यकिके बाणोंकी चोट खाकर वह नाचता हुआ-सा पृथ्वीपर गिर पड़ा

Transliteration

hatāś ca mañjogatibhaśiḥ prasenaḥ śinipravīraṃ niśitaiḥ pṛṣatkaiḥ | pracchādya nṛtyann iva karṇaputraḥ śaineyabāṇābhihataḥ papāta |

Translation

Sañjaya dit : Après que les chevaux de Sātyaki eurent été tués, Prasena —fils de Karṇa— couvrit le plus grand héros de la lignée des Śini (Sātyaki) de flèches acérées et rapides. Mais, frappé en retour par les flèches de Śaineya, Prasena tomba à terre comme s’il dansait.

Word by Word

हताःslain

चand

मञ्जोगतिभशिःunclear (corrupt/uncertain reading)

प्रसेनःPrasena

शिनिप्रवीरम्the foremost hero of the Śinis (Sātyaki)

निशितैःwith sharp

पृषत्कैःwith arrows

प्रच्छाद्यhaving covered/veiled

नृत्यन्dancing

इवas if

कर्णपुत्रःKarna’s son

शैनेयबाणाभिहतःstruck by the arrows of Śaineya (Sātyaki)

पपातfell

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Prasena (son of Karṇa)

Karṇa

Sātyaki (Śaineya, Śinipravīra)

horses

arrows

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 moral and practical reciprocity of warfare: overwhelming force is met by counterforce, and even skilled fighters quickly face the results of their actions. It reflects the Mahābhārata’s sober view of battle—valor operates within a chain of consequences, not as a guarantee of safety.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Sātyaki’s horses are killed, Prasena (Karṇa’s son) showers Sātyaki with sharp arrows, seemingly dominating him. Sātyaki retaliates; struck by Śaineya’s arrows, Prasena staggers ‘as if dancing’ and collapses to the ground.