Shloka 14

कर्णेन सैन्यस्थापनं तथा नानायुद्धसमवायः

Karna Reforms the Host and Multiple Duels Converge

Devanagari script

कुरव: सहपाञ्चाला: शाल्वा मत्स्या: सनैमिषा: | कोसला: काशयोडज्जञाशक्ष॒ कालिड्रा मागधास्तथा

Transliteration

kuravāḥ saha-pāñcālāḥ śālvā matsyāḥ sa-naimiṣāḥ | kosalāḥ kāśayo ḍa-jñāśakṣaḥ kāliḍrā māgadhās tathā ||

Translation

കർണ്ണൻ പറഞ്ഞു—കുരുക്കൾ പാഞ്ചാലരോടുകൂടെ, ശാൽവന്മാർ, മത്സ്യന്മാർ, നൈമിഷബന്ധമുള്ളവർ, കോസലർ, കാശികൾ, അതുപോലെ മാഗധർ—ഇവരും മറ്റു സഖ്യജനപദങ്ങളും എല്ലാം ഈ യുദ്ധത്തിലേക്ക് വലിക്കപ്പെട്ടു.

Word by Word

कुरवःthe Kurus

सहtogether with

पाञ्चालाःthe Panchalas

शाल्वाःthe Shalvas

मत्स्याःthe Matsyas

सthey/those

नैमिषाःthe Naimishas (people of Naimisha)

कोसलाःthe Kosalas

काशयःthe Kashis (people of Kashi)

उडज्ज्ञाःthe Uḍajjñas (tribal name; uncertain reading)

शक्षःShaksha (proper name/tribal; uncertain reading)

कालिड्राःthe Kālīḍras (tribal name; uncertain reading)

मागधाःthe Magadhas

तथाand also/likewise

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

Karna

Kuravas (Kurus)

Pañcālas

Śālvas

Matsyas

Naimiṣa (Naimiṣa region/people)

Kosalas

Kāśis (Kāśī)

Māgadhas (Magadha)

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?

By enumerating many kingdoms, the verse highlights how private ambition and unresolved rivalry can engulf entire societies. The ethical implication is that rulers and warriors bear responsibility not only for personal honor but for the widespread human cost their choices impose.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna is speaking and naming the various peoples/kingdoms involved, effectively marking the breadth of forces drawn into the Kurukṣetra war and emphasizing the scale of the conflict.