Shloka 96

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

Devanagari script

दौ:शासनिर्महाराज सौभद्रं हतवान्‌ रणे । महाराज! क्षत्रिय-धर्ममें तत्पर रहनेवाला वीर सुभद्राकुमार अभिमन्यु रथहीन कर दिया गया था, उस अवस्थामें दुःशासनके पुत्रने उसे रणभूमिमें मारा था

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | dauḥśāsanir mahārāja saubhadraṃ hatavān raṇe | mahārāja! kṣatriya-dharme tatparaḥ vīraḥ subhadrā-kumāraḥ abhimanyuḥ rathahīnaḥ kṛtaḥ; tām avasthāṃ prāpya dauḥśāsanasya putreṇa sa raṇabhūmau hataḥ |

Translation

三阇耶说道：大王啊，杜沙萨那之子在战斗中杀了娑乌婆陀罗（阿毗曼纽）。阿毗曼纽——苏跋陀罗之英勇之子——虽坚守刹帝利之法，却已被夺去战车；就在那无助之境，杜沙萨那之子于战场将他杀害。

Word by Word

• दौःशासनिः: Dauḥśāsani (son of Duḥśāsana)
• दौःशासनिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दौःशासनि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• सौभद्रम्: the son of Subhadrā (Abhimanyu)
• सौभद्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौभद्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• हतवान्: killed / slew
• हतवान्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: Perfect (Periphrastic), Third, Singular, Masculine, Nominative, कृत्-प्रत्यय: क्तवतु (past active participle used with perfect sense)

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Dhritarashtra
• Duhshasana
• Duhshasana's son
• Subhadra
• Abhimanyu
• chariot
• battlefield

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical conflict between the ideal of kshatriya-dharma and the reality of war: killing a warrior who has been rendered chariotless (effectively disadvantaged and vulnerable) is portrayed as morally troubling, even if done amid battle.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that Abhimanyu (Saubhadra), famed for his devotion to warrior duty, was first made chariotless and then slain on the battlefield by Duhshasana’s son.