Shloka 76

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

Devanagari script

त॑ दहन्तमनीकानि तत्र तत्र महारथम्‌ । क्षत्रिया वर्जयामासुर्युगान्ताग्नेमिवोल्बणम्‌

Transliteration

taṁ dahantam anīkāni tatra tatra mahāratham | kṣatriyā varjayāmāsur yugāntāgnim ivolbaṇam ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：当那位大车战士在此处彼处焚烧诸军阵列之时，刹帝利们开始避开他并向后退却——正如世人会从劫末燃起的猛烈大火前惊退一般。

Word by Word

• तान्: them (those troops)
• तान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• दहन्तम्: burning
• दहन्तम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अनीकानि: armies, divisions
• अनीकानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनीक
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• तत्र: there (here and there)
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• महारथम्: the great chariot-warrior
• महारथम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• क्षत्रियाः: the Kshatriyas (warriors)
• क्षत्रियाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• वर्जयामासुः: avoided, kept away from
• Type: Verb
• Root: वर्ज्
• Form: लिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद, Third, Plural

• युगान्ताग्निम्: the fire at the end of the age (doomsday fire)
• युगान्ताग्निम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: युगान्ताग्नि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• इव: like, as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• उल्बणम्: fierce, formidable
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उल्बण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• mahāratha (great chariot-warrior)
• kṣatriyas
• yugāntāgni (end-of-age fire)
• anīkāni (battle-formations/armies)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how overwhelming, near-apocalyptic violence in war can eclipse ordinary ideals of heroic engagement: even kṣatriyas, trained for battle, may withdraw when confronted with a force likened to the end-of-age fire. It implicitly questions the ethical cost of unrestrained martial power and the fragility of dharma amid catastrophic destruction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a great chariot-warrior (contextually Karṇa) scorching the opposing formations across the battlefield. Seeing him devastate troops in multiple places, the kṣatriya warriors avoid direct confrontation and pull back, as one would instinctively keep away from a raging, world-ending blaze.