Shloka 20

कर्णस्य सेनापत्यं, माकरव्यूहः, पाण्डवानामर्धचन्द्रव्यूहः

Karna’s Command; Mākara Formation; Pandava Crescent Counter-Array

Devanagari script

वीर: श्रुतायुश्व धृतायुधश्न चित्राड्रदश्षित्रसेनक्ष॒ वीर:

Transliteration

vīraḥ śrutāyuś ca dhṛtāyudhaś ca citrāṅgadaś citrasenaś ca vīraḥ

Translation

वीरः श्रुतायुश्च धृतायुधश्च चित्राङ्गदश्चित्रसेनश्च वीरः ॥

Word by Word

वीराःheroes, brave warriors

श्रुतायुःŚrutāyu (a warrior's name)

चand

धृतायुधःDhṛtāyudha (lit. 'he whose weapon is held/ready'; a warrior's name)

चित्रसेनःCitrāsena (lit. 'having a splendid army'; a name)

वीराःheroes, brave warriors

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Śrutāyu

Dhṛtāyudha

Citrāṅgada

Citrasena

Sañjaya

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse primarily functions as a martial catalogue: it highlights the presence of renowned warriors, underscoring the epic’s emphasis on kṣatriya valor and the grave scale of the conflict rather than offering a direct moral injunction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya is reporting to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, naming notable heroes—Śrutāyu, Dhṛtāyudha, Citrāṅgada, and Citrasena—as part of the battle account in the Karṇa Parva.