Shloka 6

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

Devanagari script

अपीयं वाहिनी कृत्स्ना मुच्येत महतो भयात्‌ | अप्ययं ब्राह्मण: सर्वान्‌ न नो हन्यात्‌ समागतान्‌,“क्या यह सारी सेना महान्‌ भयसे मुक्त हो सकती है? कहीं ऐसा न हो कि ये ब्राह्मण देवता यहाँ आये हुए हम सब लोगोंका वध कर डालें?

Transliteration

apīyaṃ vāhinī kṛtsnā mucyeta mahato bhayāt | apy ayaṃ brāhmaṇaḥ sarvān na no hanyāt samāgatān |

Translation

サञ्जयは言った。「この全軍は、この大いなる恐怖から救われるだろうか。どうか、ここに集った我らすべてを、この婆羅門——神にも似て恐るべき者——が討ち滅ぼすことのないように。」

Word by Word

अपिperhaps, even

इयम्this

वाहिनीarmy, host

कृत्स्नाentire, whole

मुच्येतmight be freed

महतःfrom great

भयात्from fear

अपिperhaps, even

अयम्this

ब्राह्मणःBrahmin

सर्वान्all

नःof us / our

हन्यात्might kill

समागतान्assembled, gathered

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sanjaya

the assembled army (vāhinī)

a brahmin/divine ascetic figure (brāhmaṇaḥ)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical and psychological weight of dharma in war: even a vast army can be shaken by the possibility of adharma provoking a spiritually powerful figure. It underscores the Mahabharata theme that moral-spiritual force (tapas/tejas) can outweigh sheer military strength, and that wrongdoing invites catastrophic consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya voices apprehension that the entire assembled force may not escape a looming danger. He fears that a brahmin-like divine ascetic present in the situation could, if provoked or acting in wrath, destroy all those gathered—showing panic and uncertainty amid the unfolding conflict.