Shloka 33

Devanagari script

कृष्णसारथिमायान्तं दृष्टवा श्वेतहयं रथम्‌

Transliteration

kṛṣṇasārathim āyāntaṃ dṛṣṭvā śvetahayaṃ ratham

Translation

桑阇耶说道：“他们看见那辆由白马牵引、以黑天（克里希那）为御者的战车逼近，便知阿周那那乘受神明引导的战车已至——此景不仅昭示武力，更显战乱纷纭之中洞察的谋略与正义的筹划同在。”

Word by Word

• कृष्णसारथिम्: Krishna as charioteer (him)
• कृष्णसारथिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्णसारथि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आयान्तम्: coming/approaching
• आयान्तम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: या
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund)

• श्वेतहयम्: the white-horsed (one)
• श्वेतहयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वेतहय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• रथम्: chariot
• रथम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Kṛṣṇa
• chariot
• white horses

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical and practical significance of right guidance in conflict: Kṛṣṇa as sārathi symbolizes discerning counsel that steers power toward dharma, implying that victory is not only force but also righteous direction and clarity of purpose.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports the sight of a white-horsed chariot approaching with Kṛṣṇa as its charioteer—an identifying battlefield image that signals the arrival of the Pandava side’s principal chariot (associated with Arjuna) and the imminent engagement it brings.