Shloka 18

Sundopasundayoḥ Tapas–Varadāna–Prasaṅgaḥ

Sunda and Upasunda: Austerities and the Boon

Devanagari script

विक्रमं च प्रशंसन्ति क्षत्रियस्य विशाम्पते । स्वको हि धर्म: शूराणां विक्रम: पार्थिवर्षभ,राजन! क्षत्रियके लिये पराक्रमकी ही प्रशंसा की जाती है। नृपश्रेष्ठ! पराक्रम करना ही शूरवीरोंका स्वधर्म है

Transliteration

vikramaṃ ca praśaṃsanti kṣatriyasya viśāmpate | svako hi dharmaḥ śūrāṇāṃ vikramaḥ pārthivarṣabha rājann |

Translation

«يا سيّدَ الرعيّة، إنما يُمدَح البأسُ بوصفه الفضيلةَ الفارقةَ للكشاتريا. حقًّا، يا ثورَ الملوك، إن إظهارَ الشجاعةِ وبذلَ القُدرةِ هو سْفَدْهَرْما الأبطال—واجبُهم الخاصّ المرسوم.»

Word by Word

विक्रमम्valor, prowess

चand

प्रशंसन्तिthey praise

क्षत्रियस्यof a kshatriya

विशाम्पतेO lord of the people

स्वकःone's own, proper

हिindeed, for

धर्मःduty, dharma

शूराणाम्of heroes, of the brave

विक्रमःvalor, prowess

पार्थिव-ऋषभO bull among kings

राजन्O king

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

Karna (speaker)

a king addressed as viśāmpati / pārthivarṣabha / rājan (unnamed in this verse)

Kshatriya (social-ethical role)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse asserts a normative ideal of Kshatriya-dharma: a warrior-ruler is chiefly praised for vikrama (valour), and courageous exertion is presented as the proper, defining duty (svaka dharma) of the heroic.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna addresses a king with honorific epithets and frames the ethical standard by which Kshatriyas are judged—emphasizing that bravery and decisive prowess are what society commends in a ruler and in heroic men.