Shloka 4536

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

Devanagari script

सज्यमस्य धनु: कण्ठे व्यवासृजत भारत । भारत! राधापुत्र कर्णने बारंबार हँसते हुए उनका पीछा करके उनके गलेमें प्रत्यंचासहित अपना धनुष डाल दिया

Transliteration

sajyam asya dhanuḥ kaṇṭhe vyavāsṛjat bhārata | bhārata! rādhāputraḥ karṇaḥ bāraṃbāraṃ hasan tasya pṛṣṭhataḥ anugamya tasya kaṇṭhe pratyāṅcāsahitaṃ svaṃ dhanuḥ nyaveśayat |

Translation

三阇耶说道：“婆罗多啊，他让自己那张已上弦的弓滑落到颈上。随后，罗陀之子迦尔纳一再大笑，追赶上去，将自己的弓连同弓弦套在对方的颈项之上。”

Word by Word

• सज्यम्: strung, with the bowstring fixed
• सज्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सज्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अस्य: of him/this (his)
• अस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• धनुः: bow
• धनुः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कण्ठे: on/at the neck
• कण्ठे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कण्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• व्यवासृजत्: threw/placed (down) upon
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada, वि,अव

• भारत: O Bhārata
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhārata (Dhṛtarāṣṭra as addressee)
• Karṇa (Rādhāputra)
• bow (dhanuḥ)
• bowstring (pratyāṅcā)
• neck (kaṇṭha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in war, power can be expressed through humiliation and intimidation; this episode highlights the ethical strain between martial success and the restraint expected of a righteous battle (dharma-yuddha).

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna repeatedly laughs while pursuing his opponent and, in a gesture of dominance, places his strung bow (with its bowstring) around the other’s neck, turning a weapon into an instrument of mockery and control.