Shloka 16
Śalya Appointed as Karṇa’s Sārathi; Discourse on Praise, Blame, and Beneficial Counsel (कर्णस्य शल्यसारथ्यं तथा स्तवनिन्दाविचारः)
मुहाते मे मनस्तात गात्रस्वेदश्व॒ जायते । वेपथुश्न शरीरे मे रोमहर्षश्व सारथे,राजन! यह सुनकर धृष्टद्युम्नने धीरेसे कहा--'सारथे! मेरे मनपर मोह छा रहा है और शरीरसे पसीना छूटने लगा है। मेरे सारे अंग काँप रहे हैं और रोमांच हो आया है
sañjaya uvāca | muhāte me manas tāta gātrasvedaś ca jāyate | vepathuś ca śarīre me romaharṣaś ca sārathi ||
Sanjaya said: “O dear one, my mind is falling into bewilderment; sweat is breaking out on my limbs. My whole body trembles, and my charioteer, I am seized by horripilation.” The verse conveys the sudden moral and psychological shock that can overtake a warrior-witness in the midst of war, where fear, foreboding, and ethical strain surface as involuntary bodily signs.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how inner conflict and ethical pressure in war manifest as involuntary physical symptoms—confusion, sweating, trembling, and gooseflesh—signaling a crisis of resolve and the gravity of impending action.
Sanjaya reports a moment of intense agitation: he (or the speaking warrior as framed by Sanjaya) experiences bewilderment and bodily tremors while addressing the charioteer, indicating sudden fear, shock, or ominous apprehension amid the battle events.