Shloka 17

धृतराष्ट्रस्य मूर्च्छा स्त्रीणां च आर्तनादः

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Collapse and the Lament of the Palace Women

Devanagari script

संजय उवाच एवमुक्त्वा तत: कर्ण चक्रे सेनापतिं तदा । तव पुत्रो महावीर्यों भ्रातृभि: सहितोडनघ

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca evam uktvā tataḥ karṇaṃ cakre senāpatiṃ tadā | tava putro mahāvīryo bhrātṛbhiḥ sahito 'nagha ||

Translation

سنجے نے کہا—اے بے عیب بادشاہ! یہ کہہ کر تمہارے عظیم الشان بہادر بیٹے نے اپنے بھائیوں کے ساتھ مل کر اُس وقت کرن کو سپہ سالار مقرر کیا۔

Word by Word

• संजयः: Sanjaya
• संजयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: संजय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• एवम्: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• उक्त्वा: having said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Active

• ततः: then/thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• कर्णम्: Karna
• कर्णम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• चक्रे: made/appointed
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• सेनापतिम्: commander of the army
• सेनापतिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेनापति
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तदा: at that time
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• तव: your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• पुत्रः: son
• पुत्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महावीर्यः: of great valor
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महावीर्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भ्रातृभिः: with (his) brothers
• भ्रातृभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सहितः: accompanied/along with
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle used adjectivally)

• अनघ: O sinless one
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनघ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Karṇa
• Duryodhana
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Kaurava brothers
• senāpati (commander of the army)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how authority in war is conferred through deliberate choice and alliance: Duryodhana consolidates command by appointing Karṇa, showing the ethical tension between loyalty to one’s patron and the larger demands of dharma in a fratricidal conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

After a preceding statement (evam uktvā), Duryodhana, together with his brothers, formally appoints Karṇa as senāpati (army commander). Sañjaya reports this to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, marking a key shift in Kaurava leadership during the war.