Shloka 9

Devanagari script

नाचिरं निहतस्तस्य संग्रामे रथसारथि: । तेन नास्ति सम: सूतो यो5स्य सारथ्यमाचरेत्‌,'थोड़े ही दिन हुए, उनके रथका सारथि एक युद्धमें मारा गया। इस कारण कोई ऐसा योग्य सूत नहीं है, जो उनके सारथिका काम सँभाल सके

Transliteration

na ciraṁ nihatas tasya saṅgrāme rathasārathiḥ | tena nāsti samaḥ sūto yo 'sya sārathyam ācaret ||

Translation

वैशम्पायन बोले—अभी अधिक समय नहीं हुआ कि युद्ध में उसका रथ-सारथि मारा गया। इसलिए उसके समान कुशल कोई सूत नहीं है जो उसके रथ का सारथ्य ठीक से कर सके।

Word by Word

नnot

अचिरम्for a short time / soon

निहतःkilled

तस्यof him / his

संग्रामेin battle

रथसारथिःcharioteer (of the chariot)

तेनtherefore / by that (reason)

नnot

अस्तिis / exists

समःequal

सूतःcharioteer / driver (sūta)

यःwho

अस्यof him / his

सारथ्यम्charioteership / the act of driving the chariot

आचरेत्would perform / could undertake

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

ratha (chariot)

sārathi (charioteer)

sūta (charioteer class)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical importance of competence in assigned duty: when a crucial role-holder is lost, the task should not be assumed lightly without an equally capable replacement, especially in contexts where many lives depend on skill and steadiness.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana explains that a certain warrior’s charioteer was recently killed in battle, and because of that loss there is no comparable sūta available to take up the demanding responsibility of driving his chariot.