Shloka 17

Śalya Appointed as Karṇa’s Sārathi; Discourse on Praise, Blame, and Beneficial Counsel (कर्णस्य शल्यसारथ्यं तथा स्तवनिन्दाविचारः)

Devanagari script

वर्जयन ब्राह्मा्ं युद्धे शनैर्याहि यतो<र्जुन: । अर्जुनं भीमसेनं वा समरे प्राप्प सारथे

Transliteration

varjayan brāhmān yuddhe śanair yāhi yato 'rjunaḥ | arjunaṃ bhīmasenaṃ vā samare prāpya sārathē ||

Translation

సంజయుడు అన్నాడు—“యుద్ధంలో బ్రాహ్మణులను తప్పించుకుంటూ, అర్జునుడు ఉన్న దిశగా నెమ్మదిగా సాగు. ఓ సారథీ, సమరంలో అర్జునుని గానీ భీమసేనుని గానీ చేరగానే వారితో యుద్ధం చేయి।”

Word by Word

वर्जयन्avoiding, excluding

ब्राह्मान्Brahmins

युद्धेin battle

शनैःslowly, gradually

याहिgo

यतःfrom where; whence

अर्जुनःArjuna

अर्जुनम्Arjuna (as object)

भीमसेनम्Bhimasena

वाor

समरेin battle

प्राप्यhaving reached, after reaching

सारथेO charioteer

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Brāhmaṇas

Arjuna

Bhīmasena (Bhīma)

Sārathi (charioteer)

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?

Even amid warfare, conduct is to be governed by restraint: one should avoid harming Brāhmaṇas and focus one’s force on the principal combatants. The verse reflects a dharmic boundary within violence—discrimination between legitimate targets and those to be spared.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports battlefield instructions directing the charioteer to move cautiously toward Arjuna’s position, while explicitly avoiding Brāhmaṇas. The aim is to seek out and engage either Arjuna or Bhīmasena when encountered in the fighting.