Shloka 28

रथचिह्नवर्णनम् / Description of Chariot Standards and Allied Advances

Devanagari script

शीघ्रमनुगमिष्यामो यत्र द्रोणो व्यवस्थित: । कोका इव महानागं मा वै हन्युर्यतव्रतम्‌,अत: हमलोग शीघ्र वहीं चलें, जहाँ टद्रोणाचार्य खड़े हैं। कहीं ऐसा न हो कि कुछ भेड़िये (जैसे पाण्डव-सैनिक) महान्‌ गजराज-जैसे व्रतधारी द्रोणाचार्यका वध कर डालें

Transliteration

śīghram anugamiṣyāmo yatra droṇo vyavasthitaḥ | kokā iva mahānāgaṃ mā vai hanyur yatavratam ||

Translation

Karna berkata: “Mari segera menuju tempat Droṇa berdiri, jangan sampai musuh yang bagai serigala itu membunuh Droṇa yang laksana gajah agung—teguh dalam kaulnya.”

Word by Word

शीघ्रम्quickly

अनुगमिष्यामःwe shall follow/go after

यत्रwhere

द्रोणःDroṇa

व्यवस्थितःstanding/posted, stationed

कोकाःwolves/jackals

इवlike, as if

महानागम्a great serpent/elephant (great nāga)

माdo not, lest

वैindeed, surely (emphasis)

हन्युःthey might kill

यतव्रतम्one of restrained vows; the vow-observant (Droṇa)

अतःtherefore, hence

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

Karna

Droṇa (Droṇācārya)

enemy warriors (implied; likened to jackals)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid war, Karna frames action as a duty of protection toward a revered elder/teacher: urgency and loyalty are presented as ethical imperatives, while the imagery warns against dishonorable or opportunistic killing of a disciplined, venerable figure.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna urges his side to move quickly to Droṇa’s position, fearing that enemy fighters may surround and kill Droṇa; he uses a vivid comparison—jackals attacking a great elephant—to stress both the danger and the perceived imbalance or opportunism of such an attack.