Shloka 26

Rāmopākhyāna—Rāma–Sītā Origins and the Opening of Rāvaṇa’s Genealogy

Devanagari script

भ्रातृभि: सहितो वीरैर्भीष्मद्रोणकृपैस्तथा | सड़म्य सूतपुत्रेण कर्णेनाहवशोभिना

Transliteration

bhrātṛbhiḥ sahito vīrair bhīṣma-droṇa-kṛpais tathā | saṅgrāmye sūtaputreṇa karṇenāhava-śobhinā ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana berkata: Ditemani saudara-saudaranya serta para pahlawan—Bhīṣma, Droṇa, dan Kṛpa juga—bersama Karṇa, putera sais kereta yang gemilang di medan perang, dia mara dalam usaha peperangan itu.

Word by Word

भ्रातृभिःby/with (his) brothers

सहितःaccompanied, together with

वीरैःby/with heroes

भीष्म-द्रोण-कृपैःby/with Bhishma, Drona, and Kripa

तथाand also; likewise

सङ्गम्यhaving met/joined

सूत-पुत्रेणwith the charioteer’s son

कर्णेनwith Karna

आहव-शोभिनाsplendid in battle

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

brothers (bhrātṛ)

Bhīṣma

Droṇa

Kṛpa (Kṛpācārya)

Karṇa

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the assembling of renowned warriors and kinship-based support as a source of formidable power, while implicitly raising the Mahābhārata’s recurring ethical question: martial excellence and loyalty can serve either dharma or adharma depending on the cause they are enlisted for.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a leader moving forward in a warlike context, accompanied by his brothers and eminent fighters—Bhīṣma, Droṇa, Kṛpa—and also Karṇa, famed for his battlefield brilliance.