Shloka 231

Ādi-parva Adhyāya 141: Bhīma–Hiḍimba Confrontation and Protective Discourse

Devanagari script

ततो वैकर्तन: कर्ण: शकुनिश्चापि सौबल: । अनेकैरशभ्युपायैस्ते जिघांसन्ति सम पाण्डवान्‌

Transliteration

tato vaikartanaḥ karṇaḥ śakuniś cāpi saubalaḥ | anekair aśabhyupāyais te jighāṃsanti sma pāṇḍavān ||

Translation

ثم إن كارنا الملقّب بـ«فايكرتانا»، ابن السائق، ومعه شكوني من سلالة ساوبالا، قد لجآ إلى حِيَلٍ كثيرةٍ دنيئةٍ غير مشروعة، وظلّا يلتمسان قتل الباندافا.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• वै: indeed, surely
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• कर्तनः: Karna (son of Vikartana)
• कर्तनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्तन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कर्णः: Karna
• कर्णः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शकुनिः: Shakuni
• शकुनिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शकुनि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• अपि: also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• सौबलः: the Saubala (son of Subala), i.e., Shakuni
• सौबलः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौबल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अनेकैः: by many
• अनेकैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• अशभ्युपायैः: by ignoble means
• अशभ्युपायैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशभ्य-उपाय
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• जिघांसन्ति: desire to kill / seek to slay
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• सम्: together; completely (preverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्

• पाण्डवान्: the Pandavas
• पाण्डवान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Karna (Vaikartana)
• Shakuni (Saubala)
• Pandavas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical decline that occurs when hostility overrides dharma: choosing ‘aśabhya upāya’ (base, improper means) to harm others marks a conscious departure from righteous conduct and foreshadows destructive consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana reports that Karṇa and Śakuni are actively devising multiple ignoble schemes with the intent to kill the Pāṇḍavas, indicating escalating conspiracy rather than open, lawful confrontation.