Shloka 8

कर्णपुत्रवधः (The Fall of Vṛṣasena) — Karṇa Parva, Adhyāya 62

Devanagari script

चक्ररक्षौ तु पार्थस्य माद्रीपुत्रौ परंतपौ । तावप्यधावतां कर्ण राजानं मा वधीरिति

Transliteration

cakrarakṣau tu pārthasya mādrīputrau paraṁtapau | tāv apy adhāvatāṁ karṇa rājānaṁ mā vadhīr iti ||

Translation

Sañjaya nói: Hai con trai của Madri—Nakula và Sahadeva, những kẻ khiến quân thù phải khổ sở—được bố trí làm người hộ vệ bánh xe (wheel-guards) cho vua Yudhiṣṭhira, con của Pṛthā. Thấy Karṇa xông tới dữ dội, họ cũng lao về phía chàng, quyết không để chàng giết nhà vua—vừa bảo vệ minh chủ, vừa giữ trọn bổn phận giữa cơn hỗn loạn của chiến trường.

Word by Word

• चक्ररक्षौ: wheel-guards (chariot-guards)
• चक्ररक्षौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्ररक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• पार्थस्य: of the son of Pritha (Arjuna)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• माद्रीपुत्रौ: the two sons of Madri (Nakula and Sahadeva)
• माद्रीपुत्रौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: माद्रीपुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• परंतपौ: scorchers of foes
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परंतप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• अपि: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• अधावताम्: ran (towards)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धाव्
• Form: Imperfect, 3rd, Dual

• कर्ण: O Karna
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• राजानम्: the king
• राजानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• मा: do not (prohibitive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा

• वधीः: kill
• Type: Verb
• Root: वध्
• Form: Aorist (injunctive/imperative sense with मा), 2nd, Singular

• इति: thus/quoting
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Karna
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Nakula
• Sahadeva
• Mādrī
• Pṛthā (Kuntī)
• chariot wheels (cakra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma expressed as protective loyalty: attendants and brothers must shield the king in crisis. Ethical emphasis falls on duty-bound defense—placing the safety of the rightful leader above personal risk in the turmoil of battle.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nakula and Sahadeva are positioned as Yudhiṣṭhira’s chariot wheel-guards. When Karṇa advances with lethal intent, they rush to confront him, determined to prevent Yudhiṣṭhira’s death.