Shloka 1

Śalya’s Objection to Sārathya and Duryodhana’s Conciliation (शल्यमन्यु-प्रशमनम् / Sārathyāṅgīkāra)

Devanagari script

अप्-#-#र- चतुर्विशो5ध्याय: नकुल और कर्णका घोर युद्ध तथा कर्णके द्वारा नकुलकी पराजय और पांचाल-सेनाका संहार संजय उवाच नकुलं रभसं युद्धे द्रावयन्तं वरूथिनीम्‌ | कर्णो वैकर्तनो राजन्‌ वारयामास वै रुषा

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | nakulaṃ rabhasaṃ yuddhe drāvayantaṃ varūthinīm | karṇo vaikatano rājan vārayāmāsa vai ruṣā ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：“大王啊！战场之上，勇猛急进的那俱罗正驱退俱卢族的战阵之时，毗迦尔多那迦尔纳——车夫之子——含怒将他拦住。”

Word by Word

• नकुलम्: Nakula
• नकुलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नकुल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• रभसम्: impetuous, forceful
• रभसम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रभस
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• युद्धे: in battle
• युद्धे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• द्रावयन्तम्: driving away, routing
• द्रावयन्तम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: द्रु (प्रेरणार्थे द्रावयति)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular, Present active participle (causative)

• वरूथिनीम्: army, host
• वरूथिनीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरूथिनी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• कर्णः: Karna
• कर्णः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वैकर्तनः: Vaikartana (son of Vikartana; epithet of Karna)
• वैकर्तनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैकर्तन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• वारयामास: checked, restrained, stopped
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (वारयति)
• Form: Perfect (periphrastic), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• रुषा: with anger
• रुषा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुष्
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Nakula
• Karṇa (Vaikartana)
• Kaurava army/battle-array (varūthinī)
• battlefield (yuddha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a recurring Mahābhārata ethic: in war, valor and duty (kṣatriya-dharma) operate alongside powerful inner forces like anger. Even when one side gains momentum, the opposing champion’s resolve—often fueled by wrath—can abruptly reverse the situation, reminding readers that moral steadiness is tested most severely amid violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nakula is aggressively pushing back the Kaurava formation on the battlefield. Seeing this, Karṇa confronts him and halts his advance, doing so with evident anger. This sets up a fierce encounter between Nakula and Karṇa and signals a shift from Nakula’s momentary dominance to Karṇa’s counteraction.