अध्याय ९ — कर्णस्य प्रहारः, योधयुग्मनियोजनम्, शैनेय-कैकेययोर्युद्धविन्यासः
कृतवर्मा महेष्वास: सात्वतानां महारथ:
kṛtavarmā maheṣvāsaḥ sātvatānāṁ mahārathaḥ
Вайшампаяна сказал: Критаварма, могучий лучник и один из первых махаратхов среди сатватов, здесь назван по имени—дабы обозначить его величие и воинскую власть в развертывающемся насилии битв Карна-парвы.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
The verse underscores how epic narrative frames ethical and martial responsibility through identity and rank: a warrior is introduced not merely by name, but by recognized capability (maheṣvāsa) and battlefield status (mahāratha), implying the weight of his actions in war.
The narrator Vaiśampāyana is naming and characterizing Kṛtavarmā, emphasizing that he is a premier archer and a leading chariot-warrior among the Sātvatas, as part of the ongoing cataloging and movement of key fighters in the Karṇa Parva conflict.