Shloka 24

कर्णपुत्रवधः (The Fall of Vṛṣasena) — Karṇa Parva, Adhyāya 62

Devanagari script

पृष्ठरक्षौ च शूरस्य युधामन्यूत्तमौजसौ

Transliteration

pṛṣṭharakṣau ca śūrasya yudhāmanyūttamaujasau

Translation

ಆ ವೀರನ ಹಿಂಭಾಗದ ರಕ್ಷಣೆಗೆ ಯುಧಾಮನ್ಯು ಮತ್ತು ಉತ್ತಮೌಜ—ಇಬ್ಬರೂ ಮಹಾಬಲಶಾಲಿಗಳು—ನಿಂತಿದ್ದರು।

Word by Word

• पृष्ठरक्षौ: the two rear-guards/protectors of the back
• पृष्ठरक्षौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृष्ठरक्ष (पृष्ठ + रक्ष)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• शूरस्य: of the hero/warrior
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूर
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• युधामन्यू: Yudhāmanyu (proper name)
• युधामन्यू: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधामन्यु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उत्तमौजसौ: Uttamaujā (and another) / the two (named) Uttamaujā(s)
• उत्तमौजसौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तमौजस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Yudhāmanyu
• Uttamaujā
• the unnamed hero (śūra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in warfare, dharma expresses itself as disciplined duty: protecting a comrade—especially by taking the dangerous rear-guard position—embodies loyalty, courage, and responsible conduct rather than reckless aggression.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes the battlefield formation: Yudhāmanyu and Uttamaujā are assigned as rear-guards for a particular hero, ensuring he is not struck from behind and maintaining the integrity of the fighting unit.