Shloka 36

Śalya Appointed as Karṇa’s Sārathi; Discourse on Praise, Blame, and Beneficial Counsel (कर्णस्य शल्यसारथ्यं तथा स्तवनिन्दाविचारः)

Devanagari script

स तेनाभिहतो राजन मूर्च्छामाशु समाविशत्‌

Transliteration

sa tenābhihato rājan mūrcchām āśu samāviśat

Translation

Sañjaya said: O King, struck by that blow, he was swiftly overcome by a faint—his strength and awareness collapsing in the midst of battle, a stark reminder of war’s sudden reversals and the fragility of embodied power.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तेन: by him/with that
• तेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• अभिहतः: struck/attacked
• अभिहतः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-हन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• मूर्च्छाम्: fainting/swoon
• मूर्च्छाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्च्छा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• आशु: quickly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु

• समाविशत्: entered/was seized by
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-विश्
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even the mighty can be instantly brought low in war; the verse underscores the instability of bodily power and the swift consequences of violence, inviting reflection on the ethical cost and unpredictability of battlefield action.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that a warrior, having been struck by a blow, quickly loses consciousness and falls into a swoon amid the ongoing combat.