Shloka 26
कर्णस्य सेनापत्याभिषेकः | Karṇa’s Consecration as Commander-in-Chief
Devanagari script
शिखण्डितनयो युद्धे क्षत्रदेवो युधां पति:
Transliteration
śikhaṇḍi-tanayo yuddhe kṣatra-devo yudhāṁ patiḥ
Translation
സഞ്ജയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—യുദ്ധത്തിൽ ശിഖണ്ഡിയുടെ പുത്രൻ, ക്ഷത്രിയരിൽ ദേവതുല്യനായി, സമരത്തിന്റെ അധിപതിപോലെ മുന്നിൽ നിന്നു.
Word by Word
शिखण्डितनयःthe son of Śikhaṇḍī
शिखण्डितनयः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootशिखण्डि-तनय
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
युद्धेin battle
युद्धे:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootयुद्ध
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular
क्षत्रदेवःthe god among kṣatriyas (a foremost warrior)
क्षत्रदेवः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootक्षत्रदेव
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
युधाम्of battles / of combats
युधाम्:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootयुध्
FormFeminine, Genitive, Plural
पतिःlord, master
पतिः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootपति
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
Speaker
संजय उवाच
Characters & Entities
S
SañjayaŚ
ŚikhaṇḍīŚ
Śikhaṇḍī’s son (Śikhaṇḍi-tanaya)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
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of martial excellence: in war, a warrior’s stature is measured by courage, command, and effectiveness. It also reflects how epic narration elevates battlefield figures into moral-symbolic exemplars of valor.
Sañjaya is describing the battlefield scene in Karṇa Parva, noting that Śikhaṇḍī’s son is prominent in the fighting, portrayed as a supreme warrior—‘a god among kṣatriyas’—and a leader in combat.