Shloka 89

Devanagari script

रथौ तयो: श्वेतहयौ दिव्यौ युक्त महात्मनो: । यौ तौ कर्णार्जुनौ राजन प्रह्ृष्ावभ्यतिष्ठताम्‌,राजन! कर्ण और अर्जुन हर्षमें भरकर जिन रथोंपर बैठे हुए थे, उन महामनस्वी वीरोंके वे दोनों रथ श्वेत घोड़ोंसे युक्त, दिव्य और आवश्यक सामग्रियोंसे सम्पन्न थे

Transliteration

rathau tayoḥ śvetahayau divyau yuktau mahātmanoḥ | yau tau karṇārjunau rājan prahṛṣṭāv abhyatiṣṭhatām ||

Translation

サञ्जयは言った。王よ、カルナとアルジュナが戦いへの昂ぶりに満ちて立つ二つの戦車は、いずれも驚くべき天上の車であった。各々は白馬を繋がれ、必要な武具・備えを余すところなく整え、偉大なる魂の戦士にふさわしかった。

Word by Word

रथौthe two chariots

तयोःof those two (of them)

श्वेतहयौthe two white horses

दिव्यौdivine

युक्तौyoked/attached (with)

महात्मनोःof the two great-souled (heroes)

यौwhich two (who/that two)

तौthose two

कर्णार्जुनौKarna and Arjuna

राजन्O king

प्रहृष्यhaving rejoiced; exulting

अभ्यतिष्ठताम्they stood upon / mounted / took their stand

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Karṇa

Arjuna

two chariots

white horses

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 epic motif that external preparedness—divine chariots, disciplined horses, complete equipment—reflects inner determination. Yet it also hints at the ethical gravity of war: splendid instruments of battle serve a conflict whose outcomes carry profound dharmic consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra the battle-ready scene: Karṇa and Arjuna, exhilarated, take their stand on their respective chariots, which are portrayed as divine, well-equipped, and yoked with white horses—setting the stage for their climactic confrontation.