Shloka 42

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

Devanagari script

तमुद्यतं महाघोरं परिघं तस्य सूतज:

Transliteration

tam udyataṁ mahāghoraṁ parighaṁ tasya sūtajaḥ

Translation

三阇耶说道：“见那可怖至极的铁杵高高举起，车夫之子（迦尔纳）迎向那迫在眉睫的一击——此景昭示：在战争中，武勇与决心正是在死亡边缘受试炼，门第与出身在行动与后果之前尽皆退却。”

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• उद्यतम्: raised, uplifted
• उद्यतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्-यत् (यम्)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• महा-घोरम्: very terrible
• महा-घोरम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + घोर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• परिघम्: iron club/bar (parigha)
• परिघम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिघ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• सूतजः: the charioteer’s son (Karna)
• सूतजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूतज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Karna (sūtajaḥ)
• parigha (iron club)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the battlefield ethic that decisive action under imminent threat defines a warrior’s moment: fearsome weapons and danger reveal resolve, while social labels (like “sūtajaḥ”) remain present yet secondary to conduct and consequence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a terrifying iron club being raised to strike; in response, Karna (called “the son of a charioteer”) is positioned as facing or reacting to that imminent, deadly attack.