Shloka 21

Devanagari script

संजय उवाच अभिषिक्ते तथा शल्ये तव सैन्येषु मानद । न कर्णव्यसनं किंचिन्मेनिरे तत्र भारत,इति सत्य ब्रवीम्येष दुर्योधन न संशय: । “मैं रणभूमिमें कुन्तीके सभी पुत्रों और सामने आये हुए सोमकोंपर भी विजय प्राप्त कर लूँगा। इसमें भी संदेह नहीं कि मैं तुम्हारा सेनापति होऊँगा और ऐसे व्यूहका निर्माण करूँगा, जिसे शत्रु लाँघ नहीं सकेंगे। दुर्योधन! यह मैं तुमसे सच्ची बात कहता हूँ। इसमें कोई संशय नहीं है” संजय कहते हैं--मानद! भरतनन्दन! इस प्रकार आपकी सेनाओंमें राजा शल्यका अभिषेक होनेपर समस्त योद्धाओंको कर्णके मारे जानेका थोड़ा-सा भी दुःख नहीं रह गया

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | abhiṣikte tathā śalye tava sainyeṣu mānada | na karṇavyasanaṃ kiñcin menire tatra bhārata | iti satyaṃ bravīmy eṣa duryodhana na saṃśayaḥ ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：“噢，赐予荣誉者，噢，婆罗多的后裔！当沙利耶依礼受灌顶（被立为统帅）置于你军中之时，那里的战士们对迦尔纳的厄运（他的死亡）竟连一丝哀伤也没有。”

Word by Word

संजयःSanjaya

उवाचsaid

अभिषिक्तेwhen (he was) consecrated/anointed

तथाthus/so

शल्येin/with respect to Shalya

तवyour

सैन्येषुin the armies

मानदO giver of honor (epithet)

नnot

कर्ण-व्यसनम्misfortune/distress regarding Karna (i.e., grief for Karna)

किञ्चित्at all/anything (even a little)

मेनिरेthey thought/considered

तत्रthere

भारतO Bharata (descendant of Bharata)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Śalya

Karṇa

Duryodhana

Bhārata (address/title)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how, in prolonged conflict, collective purpose and survival can override personal bonds: even a major hero’s fall (Karṇa) is quickly absorbed once a new commander (Śalya) is installed. Ethically, it points to the numbing effect of war—where grief is displaced by strategy and continuation of violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Karṇa’s death, Duryodhana appoints and consecrates Śalya as the new commander-in-chief. Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Kaurava warriors, upon Śalya’s installation, showed virtually no sorrow for Karṇa’s misfortune, indicating a rapid shift in morale and command structure.