Shloka 44

Devanagari script

व्यसने वर्तमानस्य कृतवर्मा नृशंसवत्‌ | अश्वान्‌ जघान सहसा तथोभीौ पार्ष्णिसारथी,“इस प्रकार जब वह संकटमें पड़ गया, तब कृतवर्माने क्रूर मनुष्यकी भाँति सहसा उसके घोड़ों तथा दोनों पार्श्वरक्षकोंकोी मार डाला

Transliteration

vyasane vartamānasya kṛtavarmā nṛśaṃsavat | aśvān jaghāna sahasā tathobhau pārṣṇisārathī ||

Translation

ਇਸ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਜਦੋਂ ਉਹ ਸੰਕਟ ਵਿੱਚ ਫਸ ਗਿਆ, ਤਦੋਂ ਕ੍ਰਿਤਵਰਮਾ ਨੇ ਨਿਰਦਈ ਵਾਂਗ ਅਚਾਨਕ ਉਸ ਦੇ ਘੋੜੇ ਮਾਰ ਦਿੱਤੇ ਅਤੇ ਦੋਵੇਂ ਪਾਸੇ ਦੇ ਰਖਵਾਲੇ (ਪਾਰ੍ਸ਼੍ਣਿਸਾਰਥੀ) ਵੀ ਵਧ ਕਰ ਦਿੱਤੇ।

Word by Word

व्यसनेin calamity/misfortune

वर्तमानस्यof (him) being/remaining (there)

कृतवर्माKṛtavarmā

नृशंसवत्cruelly; like a ruthless man

अश्वान्horses

जघानslew/killed

सहसाsuddenly; impetuously

तथाand likewise/also

उभौboth (two)

पार्ष्णिसारथीthe two charioteers/guards at the flanks (side-protectors)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Kṛtavarmā

horses (chariot team)

pārṣṇisārathī (two flank-guards/side charioteers)

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 ethical tension in war: when a combatant is already in distress, attacking his supports (horses and guards) is portrayed as nṛśaṃsa—merciless—suggesting a lapse from restrained kṣatriya conduct and a drift toward expediency over dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Kṛtavarmā, seeing an opponent in a vulnerable state, abruptly kills the chariot’s horses and then kills the two side-guards/flank charioteers, effectively disabling the chariot and stripping the warrior of protection.