Shloka 7

कर्णेन व्यूहविधानम् — Karṇa’s Battle Formation and the Pāṇḍava Counter-Plan

Adhyāya 31

Devanagari script

स पाहि सर्वथा कर्ण यथा ब्रह्मा महेश्वरम

Transliteration

sa pāhi sarvathā karṇa yathā brahmā maheśvaram

Translation

ഹേ കർണ്ണാ! ബ്രഹ്മൻ മഹേശ്വരനെ കാത്തുപോലെ, നീ അവനെ എല്ലാതരത്തിലും സംരക്ഷിക്കണം.

Word by Word

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

• पाहि: protect (him)
• पाहि: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (पालने)
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सर्वथा: in every way; completely
• सर्वथा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वथा

• कर्ण: O Karna
• कर्ण: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• यथा: as; just as
• यथा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महेश्वरम्: Maheśvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Karna
• Brahmā
• Maheśvara (Śiva)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes the dharma of steadfast protection and loyalty: a warrior-leader must guard an ally or principal without hesitation, and the cosmic comparison (Brahmā–Maheśvara) elevates this obligation from mere strategy to a morally charged duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya, narrating events to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, urges Karṇa to ensure someone’s safety “in every way,” using a divine analogy to stress urgency and total commitment in the unfolding battle context.