Shloka 8

कर्णेन व्यूहविधानम् — Karṇa’s Battle Formation and the Pāṇḍava Counter-Plan

Adhyāya 31

Devanagari script

यथा च सर्वथा55पत्सु वार्ष्णेय: पाति पाण्डवम्‌ | तथा मद्रेश्वराद्य त्वं राधेयं प्रतिपालय

Transliteration

yathā ca sarvathāpatṣu vārṣṇeyaḥ pāti pāṇḍavam | tathā madreśvarādya tvaṃ rādheyaṃ pratipālaya ||

Translation

جس طرح ہر طرح کی آفتوں میں وارشنیہ (کرشن) پانڈو (ارجن) کی حفاظت کرتا ہے، اسی طرح اے مَدر کے سردار! آج تم رادھیہ (کرن) کی نگہبانی کرو۔

Word by Word

यथाjust as

चand

सर्वथाin every way, entirely

आपत्सुin calamities, in times of distress

वार्ष्णेयःthe Vārṣṇeya (Krishna)

पातिprotects

पाण्डवम्the Pāṇḍava (Arjuna/Pāṇḍava prince)

तथाso, in the same way

मद्रेश्वरात्from the lord of Madra (Śalya)

अद्यtoday, now

त्वम्you

राधेयम्Rādheya (Karna)

प्रतिपालयprotect, look after

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Vārṣṇeya (Kṛṣṇa)

Pāṇḍava (Arjuna)

Madreśvara (Śalya)

Rādheya (Karna)

Madra

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?

In war and crisis, protection and support must be reciprocal and timely: as Kṛṣṇa steadfastly safeguards Arjuna, Śalya is urged to uphold his responsibility to protect Karna, emphasizing duty to one’s side and the ethical weight of guardianship in peril.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports an exhortation directed to Śalya, the king of Madra, urging him to protect Karna. The line draws a parallel with Kṛṣṇa’s constant protection of Arjuna, framing Śalya’s role as essential to Karna’s safety and effectiveness in the ongoing battle.