Shloka 11

कर्णसेनापत्यारम्भः — Karṇa’s Appointment and the Report to Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Chapter 1

Devanagari script

कर्ण सेनापतिं कृत्वा कृतकौतुकमड़ला: । पूजयित्वा द्विजश्रेष्ठान्‌ दधिपात्रघृताक्षतै:

Transliteration

karṇaṁ senāpatiṁ kṛtvā kṛtakautukamaṅgalāḥ | pūjayitvā dvijaśreṣṭhān dadhipātraghṛtākṣataiḥ ||

Translation

Disse Vaiśampāyana: Tendo nomeado Karṇa comandante do exército, os Kauravas realizaram os ritos auspiciosos de costume. Em seguida, honraram os mais eminentes dos duas-vezes-nascidos (brāhmaṇas) com oferendas de coalhada em recipientes, ghee e grãos intactos, buscando a sanção sagrada e a boa fortuna para a guerra iminente.

Word by Word

कर्णम्Karna

सेनापतिम्commander of the army

कृत्वाhaving made / having appointed

कृतकौतुकमङ्गलाःhaving performed auspicious rites/ceremonies

पूजयित्वाhaving worshipped / having honored

द्विजश्रेष्ठान्the best of the twice-born (Brahmins)

दधिwith curd

पात्रwith a vessel

घृतwith ghee

अक्षतैःwith unbroken rice-grains

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Karna

senāpati (office of commander-in-chief)

dvijaśreṣṭhāḥ (eminent brāhmaṇas)

dadhi (curd)

pātra (vessels)

ghṛta (ghee)

akṣata (unbroken grains)

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 how political-military decisions are framed within ritual and social-religious validation: appointing a commander is followed by auspicious rites and honoring brāhmaṇas, reflecting the belief that power and success should be sought with sacred sanction and proper observance of dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

After making Karṇa the commander-in-chief, the Kaurava side performs auspicious ceremonies and honors leading brāhmaṇas with ritual substances (curd, ghee, and unbroken grains), preparing spiritually and socially for the coming phase of battle.