Shloka 88

अध्याय ९ — कर्णस्य प्रहारः, योधयुग्मनियोजनम्, शैनेय-कैकेययोर्युद्धविन्यासः

Devanagari script

मद्रराज: कथं शल्यो नियुक्तो रथिनां वर: । वैकर्तनस्य सारथ्ये तन्ममाचक्ष्व संजय,संजय! रथियोंमें श्रेष्ठ मद्रराज शल्यको कर्णके सारथिके कार्यमें कैसे नियुक्त किया गया? यह मुझे बताओ

Transliteration

madrarājaḥ kathaṃ śalyo niyukto rathināṃ varaḥ | vaikartanasya sārathye tan mamācakṣva saṃjaya saṃjaya ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dit : «Ô Sañjaya, dis-moi : comment Śalya, roi de Madra et le premier des guerriers de char, fut-il désigné pour servir de cocher à Vaikarṭana (Karna) ? Explique-le-moi, Sañjaya.»

Word by Word

मद्रराजःthe king of Madra (Shalya)

कथम्how

शल्यःShalya

नियुक्तःappointed/assigned

रथिनाम्of chariot-warriors

वरःbest/excellent

वैकर्तनस्यof Vaikartana (Karna)

सारथ्येin the role of charioteer / as charioteer

तत्that (matter)

ममto me / of me

आचक्ष्वtell/explain

संजयO Sanjaya

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Sañjaya

Śalya

Madra

Karna (Vaikartana)

chariot (ratha)

charioteer (sārathi)

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 foregrounds how roles in war are shaped not only by skill but by political circumstance and appointment (niyoga). It invites reflection on duty and honor: even a foremost warrior may be placed in a supporting role, and such assignments can carry ethical and strategic consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana prompts Sañjaya to explain the backstory of how Śalya—king of Madra and a renowned chariot-fighter—came to be appointed as Karna’s charioteer, setting up the account of the circumstances and motives behind this arrangement.