Shloka 423

Devanagari script

त्रिभिवव सारथिं हत्वा कर्णपुत्रो ननाद ह । उसने चार बाणोंसे उनके चारों घोड़ोंको मार डाला और पाँचसे उनकी ध्वजा काटकर तीनसे सारथिके भी प्राण ले लिये। इसके बाद कर्णपुत्र जोर-जोरसे सिंहनाद करने लगा

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | tribhir eva sārathiṃ hatvā karṇaputro nanāda ha |

Translation

സഞ്ജയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—അവൻ നാല് അമ്പുകളാൽ ആ നാലു കുതിരകളെയും കൊന്നു, അഞ്ചാമത്തേതാൽ ധ്വജം വെട്ടി, മൂന്നു അമ്പുകളാൽ സാരഥിയെയും വധിച്ചു. തുടർന്ന് കർണപുത്രൻ ഉച്ചത്തിൽ സിംഹനാദം മുഴക്കി.

Word by Word

त्रिभिःwith three (arrows)

एवindeed/just

सारथिम्the charioteer

हत्वाhaving slain

कर्णपुत्रःKarna's son

ननादroared/sounded

हindeed (particle)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

स

संजय (Sanjaya)

क

कर्णपुत्र (Karna’s son, Vṛṣasena)

स

सारथि (charioteer)

र

रथ (chariot, implied)

अ

अश्व (horses, from the accompanying sense)

ध

ध्वजा (banner/standard, from the accompanying sense)

ब

बाण (arrows, from the accompanying sense)

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 battlefield ideal of swift martial efficiency and public assertion of valor, while implicitly exposing the ethical tension of war: victory is achieved through the taking of lives (even non-combatant roles like a charioteer) and the destruction of symbols of honor (banner), reminding readers that dharma in war is complex and morally costly.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports that Karna’s son kills the charioteer with three arrows and then roars loudly in triumph; the accompanying narrative sense adds that he also brings down the horses and cuts the banner, demonstrating dominance over the opponent’s chariot and proclaiming his prowess.