Shloka 16

Devanagari script

सौवीरा: कितवाः प्राच्या दाक्षिणात्याश्ष सर्वश: । तवात्मजं पुरस्कृत्य सूतपुत्रस्थ पृष्ठत:

Transliteration

Sauvīrāḥ kitavāḥ prācyā dākṣiṇātyāś ca sarvaśaḥ | tavātmajaṁ puraskṛtya sūtaputrasya pṛṣṭhataḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “The Sauvīras, the gamblers, the men of the eastern lands, and all the southerners—placing your son at the front and keeping the Sūta’s son behind him—advanced in a body.”

Word by Word

सौवीराःthe Souvīras (people of Sauvīra)

कितवाःgamblers / deceitful men

प्राच्याःeasterners

दाक्षिणात्याःsoutherners

सर्वशःaltogether; in every way; all around

तवof you; your

आत्मजम्son

पुरस्कृत्यhaving placed in front; having put at the head

सूतपुत्रस्यof the charioteer’s son (Karna)

पृष्ठतःfrom behind; at the rear

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by 'tava')

Duryodhana (implied by 'your son')

Karna (Sūtaputra)

Sauvīra (region/people)

Prācya (eastern regions/people)

Dākṣiṇātya (southern regions/people)

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?

The verse highlights how war mobilizes diverse groups under a chosen leader, while also hinting at ethical judgment through labels like “kitava” (gamblers), suggesting that character and reputation shape how alliances are perceived in a dharmic evaluation of conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that multiple regional contingents (Sauvīras, easterners, southerners, etc.) are moving together in battle order, with Duryodhana placed at the front and Karna positioned behind him.