Shloka 90

Devanagari script

सवाजिसूतेष्वसनान्‌ सकेतनान्‌ जघान नागाश्चरथांस्त्वरंक्ष सः । ततः प्रकीर्ण सुमहद्‌ बल॑ तव प्रदारित: सेतुरिवाम्भसा यथा

Transliteration

savājisūteṣv asanān saketanān jaghāna nāgāś ca rathāṁs tvaraṁkṣa saḥ | tataḥ prakīrṇaṁ sumahad balaṁ tava pradāritaḥ setur ivāmbhasā yathā

Translation

กรรณะกล่าวว่า—เขาโจมตีอย่างรวดเร็ว ทำลายที่นั่งรถศึกพร้อมม้าและสารถี รวมทั้งธงชัย และยังทำลายกองช้างกับรถศึกทั้งหลายด้วย แล้วกองทัพใหญ่ของเจ้าก็กระจัดกระจายและแตกพ่าย ดุจเขื่อนที่พังทลายด้วยกระแสน้ำเชี่ยว

Word by Word

सhe

वाजि-सूतेषुamong the charioteers (horse-drivers)

असनान्those seated (in the chariots)

स-केतनाान्together with their standards/ensigns

जघानslew/struck down

नागान्elephants

चand

रथान्chariots

त्वरंक्षhurried/caused to hasten (reading uncertain)

सःhe

ततःthen/thereupon

प्रकीर्णम्scattered/dispersed

सुमहत्very great

बलम्army/force

तवyour

प्रदारितःtorn asunder/rent

सेतुःa dam/bridge

इवlike/as

अम्भसाby water

यथाas/just as

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

Karna

army of the addressed party (tava balam)

horses

charioteers (sūta)

banners/standards (ketana)

elephants (nāga)

chariots (ratha)

dam/embankment (setu)

water (ambhas)

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 underscores how quickly disciplined formations can collapse when key units and symbols (chariots, drivers, banners) are destroyed; it highlights the ethical gravity of war where leadership, cohesion, and responsibility determine the fate of many.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna describes a warrior’s rapid onslaught: chariot-units with horses and charioteers, along with their banners, and even elephant and chariot forces are smashed; as a result, the addressed side’s immense army breaks and scatters like an embankment breached by floodwaters.