Shloka 1

Devanagari script

>> रभ चत्वारिशर्दाधिकशततमोब् ध्याय: भगवान्‌ श्रीकृष्णका कर्णको पाण्डवपक्षमें आ जानेके लिये समझाना धृतराष्ट उवाच राजपुत्रै: परिवृतस्तथा भृत्यैश्व संजय । उपारोप्य रथे कर्ण निर्यातो मधुसूदन:

Transliteration

Dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | rājaputraiḥ parivṛtas tathā bhṛtyaiś ca sañjaya | upāropya rathe Karṇaṃ niryāto Madhusūdanaḥ ||

Translation

ధృతరాష్ట్రుడు పలికెను—సంజయా, రాజకుమారులు మరియు సేవకులు చుట్టుముట్టగా, మధుసూదనుడు (శ్రీకృష్ణుడు) కర్ణుని రథంపై కూర్చోబెట్టి బయలుదేరెను.

Word by Word

राजपुत्रैःby the princes

परिवृतःsurrounded

तथाlikewise

भृत्यैःby servants

चand

संजयO Sañjaya

उपारोप्यhaving mounted/placed upon

रथेon the chariot

कर्णम्Karna

निर्यातःwent out/departed

मधुसूदनःMadhusudana (Krishna)

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Sañjaya

Karṇa

Madhusūdana (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)

chariot (ratha)

princes (rājaputrāḥ)

attendants/retainers (bhṛtyāḥ)

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 frames Kṛṣṇa’s ethical diplomacy: before war becomes inevitable, he actively seeks reconciliation and a dharmic alignment of key actors. The act of personally taking Karṇa along underscores that counsel, persuasion, and moral responsibility precede violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra asks Sañjaya to report events: Kṛṣṇa (Madhusūdana), accompanied by royal princes and attendants, seats Karṇa on a chariot and departs—setting the scene for Kṛṣṇa’s attempt to win Karṇa over to the Pāṇḍava side.