Shloka 9

कृष्णेन अर्जुनस्य प्रोत्साहनम् — Kṛṣṇa’s Exhortation to Arjuna

Prelude to Karṇa’s Slaying

Devanagari script

यथा वा वाससी शुक्ले महार०ञ्जनरजञ्जिते

Transliteration

yathā vā vāsasī śukle mahārañjanarajañjite | athavā yathā kācid śyāmavarṇā yuvatī śvetavarṇāni vāsāṃsi haridrāyā gāḍhena rañgena rañjayitvā paridadhyāt | tathaiva sā raṇabhūmiḥ pratibhāti sma | māṃsaśoṇitacitrā sā bhūmiḥ suvarṇamayīva pratibhāti sma |

Translation

Sañjaya thưa: Như hai tấm vải trắng, khi ngâm trong thuốc nhuộm mạnh, sẽ mang lấy sắc đậm của nó—hoặc như một thiếu nữ da sẫm khoác tấm vải trắng đã nhuộm vàng nghệ đặc—chiến địa cũng hiện ra như vậy. Dẫu như được “vẽ” bằng thịt và máu, mảnh đất ấy, trong một nghịch lý lạnh lùng, lại ánh lên vẻ gần như vàng rực.

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• वाससी: two garments/cloths
• वाससी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासस्
• Form: neuter, nominative, dual

• शुक्ले: white
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुक्ल
• Form: neuter, nominative, dual

• महारञ्जनरजञ्जिते: dyed with the dye/powder of great dye (deeply colored)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महारञ्जन-रज-रञ्जित
• Form: neuter, nominative, dual

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• raṇabhūmi (battlefield)
• vāsas (garments/cloth)
• haridrā (turmeric)
• māṃsa (flesh)
• śoṇita (blood)
• suvarṇa (gold)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical paradox of war: the battlefield can appear visually striking—almost ‘golden’—even while it is saturated with blood and death. It cautions that outward brilliance can conceal inner horror, urging discernment (viveka) and a dharmic evaluation beyond appearances.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya, narrating the Kurukṣetra war, uses vivid similes of dyed white cloth and turmeric-stained garments to describe how the battlefield looked. He conveys that the ground, though smeared with flesh and blood, seemed to shine with a deceptive, gold-like appearance.