Shloka 37

Devanagari script

चारुवेषधरं वीरं॑ चारुमौलिशिरोधरम्‌ । तन्मुखं सूतपुत्रस्य पूर्णचन्द्रसमद्युति

Transliteration

cāruveṣadharaṁ vīraṁ cārumauḻiśirodharam | tanmukhaṁ sūtaputrasya pūrṇacandrasamadyuti ||

Translation

Śalya berkata: “Wajah putra sais—Karna—bersinar laksana purnama. Ia mengenakan busana yang memikat; gagah dalam martabat ksatria; kepala dan lehernya pun tampak elok.”

Word by Word

• चारु-वेष-धरम्: wearing a beautiful dress/attire
• चारु-वेष-धरम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चारुवेषधर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वीरम्: the hero/warrior
• वीरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• चारु-मौलि-शिरो-धरम्: bearing a beautiful head/crest (beautifully crowned)
• चारु-मौलि-शिरो-धरम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चारुमौलिशिरोधर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• मुखम्: face
• मुखम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• सूत-पुत्रस्य: of the charioteer’s son (Karna)
• सूत-पुत्रस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूतपुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• पूर्ण-चन्द्र-सम-द्युति: having splendor equal to the full moon
• पूर्ण-चन्द्र-सम-द्युति: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्णचन्द्रसमद्युति
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

शल्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śalya
• Karna (Sūtaputra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the contrast between external brilliance (beauty, dignity, heroic bearing) and the grim ethical setting of war, reminding readers that splendor and valor do not by themselves resolve the deeper moral costs of conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śalya is describing Karna’s striking appearance—his handsome attire and moonlike radiance—within the battlefield context of the Karṇa Parva, where Śalya serves as Karna’s charioteer and speaks about him.