Shloka 203

Śalya Appointed as Karṇa’s Sārathi; Discourse on Praise, Blame, and Beneficial Counsel (कर्णस्य शल्यसारथ्यं तथा स्तवनिन्दाविचारः)

Devanagari script

पार्षतं त्रासयामास महेन्द्रो नमुचिं यथा । शत्रुओंका दमन करनेवाले कृपाचार्यने बारंबार शंखध्वनि की और जैसे इन्द्रने नमुचिको डराया था, उसी प्रकार उन्होंने धृष्टद्युम्मको भयभीत कर दिया

Transliteration

pārṣataṃ trāsayāmāsa mahendro namuciṃ yathā |

Translation

三阇耶说道：“克利帕阿阇梨，降伏仇敌者，屡屡吹响海螺号角，使普利沙塔之子提湿多优摩那心生恐惧，正如昔日大因陀罗（摩诃因陀罗）震慑那牟支一般。”

Word by Word

• पार्षतम्: Dhrishtadyumna (son of Prishata)
• पार्षतम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्षत (धृष्टद्युम्न)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• त्रासयामास: frightened/terrified
• त्रासयामास: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्रस् (णिच्) + आस्
• Form: Periphrastic Perfect (लिट्, आम्-प्रत्यय), Third, Singular

• महेन्द्रः: Mahendra (Indra)
• महेन्द्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेन्द्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नमुचिम्: Namuchi
• नमुचिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमुचि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• यथा: as/just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛṣṭadyumna (Pārṣata)
• Kṛpācārya
• Indra (Mahendra)
• Namuci

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how fear can be strategically induced in battle: strength is not only physical but also psychological, and the display of power (here, repeated conch-blasts) can weaken an adversary’s courage. It also uses a well-known mythic comparison (Indra vs. Namuci) to underscore the intensity of the intimidation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Kṛpācārya repeatedly sounded his conch and thereby frightened Dhṛṣṭadyumna, likening this to Indra terrifying the Asura Namuci. The moment depicts a surge of Kaurava-side aggression and morale-assertion amid the fighting.