Shloka 8

कर्णस्य सेनापत्याभिषेकः | Karṇa’s Consecration as Commander-in-Chief

Devanagari script

परेषां कदनं कृत्वा महारथविशारद: । परिवार्य महामात्रै: षड़भि: परमकै रथै:

Transliteration

pareṣāṁ kadanaṁ kṛtvā mahārathaviśāradaḥ | parivārya mahāmātraiḥ ṣaḍbhiḥ paramakai rathaiḥ ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：在敌军中造成了巨大的杀戮之后，那位精通大车战的豪杰便在战场上往来驰骋，周围有六位卓越的统帅乘着最精良的战车护卫相随——这正是武威的写照，也是战争阴沉而不可遏止的推进之势。

Word by Word

• परेषाम्: of others
• परेषाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• कदनम्: slaughter, destruction
• कदनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कृत्वा: having done
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वा)

• महारथविशारदः: skilled among great chariot-warriors
• महारथविशारदः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महारथविशारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• परिवार्य: having surrounded / having been surrounded (around)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + वृ (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive (ल्यप्/य)

• महामात्रैः: by great officers / commanders
• महामात्रैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• षड्भिः: with six
• षड्भिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षष् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• परमकैः: excellent, foremost
• परमकैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परमक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• रथैः: by chariots
• रथैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• संजय (Sañjaya)
• महामात्राः (high commanders/officers)
• रथाः (chariots)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the epic’s ethical tension: martial excellence and command structure can amplify destruction. It invites reflection on how skill, status, and organized power in war intensify harm, even when framed as kṣatriya duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that an expert great chariot-warrior, after inflicting heavy casualties on the opposing side, proceeds on the battlefield while being escorted/encircled by six high-ranking commanders in superb chariots.