Shloka 6

Karna Reproves Shalya; Brahmin Reports on Bāhlīkas; Shalya’s Universalizing Rebuttal (कर्ण–शल्य संवादः)

Devanagari script

संजय उवाच हतप्रहतविध्वस्ता विवर्मायुधवाहना: । दीनस्वरा दूयमाना मानिन: शत्रुनिर्जिता:

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca hataprahata-vidhvastā vivarmāyudha-vāhanāḥ | dīnasvarā dūyamānā māninaḥ śatrunirjitāḥ ||

Translation

สัญชัยกล่าวว่า—เหล่านักรบผู้เคยหยิ่งผยองนั้น ถูกฟันถูกตีจนย่อยยับ ไร้เกราะ ไร้อาวุธ ไร้พาหนะ เสียงก็อ่อนแรง คร่ำครวญด้วยความระทม และยืนอยู่ในสภาพผู้พ่ายแพ้ต่อศัตรู

Word by Word

संजयO Sañjaya

उवाचsaid

हतslain/struck

प्रहतsmitten, beaten

विध्वस्ताscattered, routed

विवर्मwithout armor

आयुधवाहनाःweapon-bearers / those carrying weapons

दीनस्वराःwith feeble voices

दूयमानाःbeing pained, suffering

मानिनःproud, self-respecting

शत्रुनिर्जिताःdefeated by the enemy

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

enemy (śatru)

armour (varman)

weapons (āyudha)

mounts/vehicles (vāhana)

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 the fragility of pride and status in war: when violence peaks, even the honour-conscious are reduced to pain, loss, and helplessness. It implicitly warns that martial glory is unstable and that ethical reflection is needed amid the pursuit of victory.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports the condition of warriors on the battlefield: they have been struck and routed, deprived of armour, weapons, and mounts, and now speak faintly while suffering—an image of an army broken by the enemy’s force.