Shloka 38

Devanagari script

इत्युक्त्वा रथमास्थाय प्रायादभिमुख: परान्‌ | तमन्वगात्‌ कृपो राजन्‌ कृतवर्मा च सात्वत:

Transliteration

ity uktvā ratham āsthāya prāyād abhimukhaḥ parān | tam anvagāt kṛpo rājan kṛtavarmā ca sātvatāḥ ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：“说罢，他登上战车，面向敌军而去。大王啊，克利波随其后行，萨特瓦塔族的克利多跋摩亦然。”

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• उक्त्वा: having said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), active, same as main verb subject

• रथम्: chariot
• रथम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• आस्थाय: having mounted/ascended
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (आ-स्था)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), active, same as main verb subject

• प्रायात्: went forth
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (प्र-या)
• Form: imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, singular, parasmaipada

• अभिमुखः: facing/towards
• अभिमुखः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभिमुख
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• परान्: the foes/others (enemies)
• परान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• अन्वगात्: followed
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (अनु-गम्)
• Form: imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, singular, parasmaipada

• कृपः: Kripa
• कृपः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृप
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• कृतवर्मा: Kritavarman
• कृतवर्मा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृतवर्मन्
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• सात्वतः: the Sātvata (Yādava)
• सात्वतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सात्वत
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Aśvatthāmā
• Kṛpa (Kripācārya)
• Kṛtavarmā
• Sātvata lineage
• chariot

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how spoken intention immediately becomes action, and how companions’ choices to follow bind them to the moral weight of the leader’s course. In the Sauptika context, it foreshadows ethically fraught deeds by showing resolve, momentum, and complicity forming in real time.

What is happening in the narrative?

After declaring his intent, Aśvatthāmā mounts his chariot and advances toward the enemy. Kṛpa and Kṛtavarmā follow him, indicating a small band moving together into the next phase of the Sauptika episode.