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Shloka 583

कर्णार्जुनसमागमः — The Karṇa–Arjuna Confrontation

Cosmic Spectatorship and Vows

प्रेतराजपुरे यद्धत्‌ प्रेतराजं विचेतस: । सूतपुत्रद्वारा समरांगणमें मारे जाते हुए सूंजय बारंबार अर्जुन और श्रीकृष्णको पुकारते थे। ठीक उसी तरह, जैसे प्रेतराजके नगरमें क्लेशसे अचेत हुए प्राणी प्रेतराजको ही पुकारते हैं

pretarājapure yaddhat pretarājaṁ vicetasaḥ | sūtaputradvārā samarāṅgaṇe māryamāṇe sañjayaḥ bāraṁbāram arjunaṁ śrīkṛṣṇaṁ ca pupāra | ṭhīk usī tarah, jaise pretarājake nagarme kleśase acet hue prāṇī pretarāja ko hī pukārate haiṁ |

サञ्जयは言った。「ヤマ(死の主)の都で苦悩により気を失った者たちが、ただ死者の王ヤマのみを呼び求めるように、戦場において御者の子(スータの子)が討たれつつあったとき、サञ्जयもまたアルジュナと聖なるクリシュナを幾度も幾度も呼び求めたのである。」

प्रेतराजपुरेin the city of the lord of the departed (Yama)
प्रेतराजपुरे:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootप्रेतराजपुर
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular
यत्which/that
यत्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootयद्
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
हत्killed/slain
हत्:
Karma
TypeVerb
Rootहन्
Formक्त (past passive participle), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
प्रेतराजम्the lord of the departed (Yama)
प्रेतराजम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootप्रेतराज
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
विचेतसःunconscious, senseless (beings)
विचेतसः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootविचेतस्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural

संजय उवाच

S
Sañjaya
A
Arjuna
Ś
Śrī Kṛṣṇa
S
Sūtaputra (Karna)
P
Pretarāja (Yama)
P
Pretarājapura (city/realm of Yama)
S
Samarāṅgaṇa (battlefield)

Educational Q&A

In crisis, beings instinctively seek the highest refuge they recognize. The verse uses the image of sufferers in Yama’s realm calling upon Pretarāja to highlight how, amid the terror of death on the battlefield, Sañjaya turns repeatedly to Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa as the decisive protectors and agents of dharma.

During the climactic fighting of Karṇa Parva, as Karṇa (the sūtaputra) is being slain in the battle, Sañjaya—reporting events—repeatedly invokes Arjuna and Śrī Kṛṣṇa, likening his urgent cries to the cries of tormented beings in the realm of Yama.