Shloka 21

Devanagari script

अपूपान्‌ सक्तुपिण्डांश्व प्राश्नन्तो मथितान्वितान्‌ | पथि सुप्रबला भूत्वा कदा सम्पततो5ध्वगान्‌

Transliteration

apūpān saktupiṇḍāṁś ca prāśnanto mathitānvitān | pathi suprabalā bhūtvā kadā sampatato 'dhvagān ||

Translation

قال كارنا: «يتخمون أنفسهم بكعك الأَبُوبَة وكرات السَّكْتُو (حبوبٍ محمَّصة)، ويحملون معهم خُثارةً مخفوقة—فمتى يصير هؤلاء المسافرون على الطريق أقوياء حقًّا ويندفعون إلى الأمام؟»

Word by Word

अपूपान्cakes

सक्तु-पिण्डान्balls/lumps of parched-grain flour

चand

प्राश्नन्तःeating

मथितान्churned (curds/buttermilk etc.)

वितान्distributed/provided

पथिon the road

सु-प्रबलाvery strong

भूत्वाhaving become

कदाwhen?

सम्-पततःfalls upon/attacks

अध्वगान्travellers/wayfarers

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

क

कर्ण (Karna)

अ

अध्वग (travellers/wayfarers)

अ

अपूप (cakes)

स

सक्तुपिण्ड (parched-grain balls)

म

मथित (churned curds/buttermilk)

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 uses sarcasm to stress that in a dharmic battle, warriors must show disciplined strength and swift resolve; those who behave like comfort-seeking travellers with provisions are unfit for the urgency of combat duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna is speaking in the midst of the war narrative and mocks the opposing side, portraying them as mere road-travellers eating travel-food (cakes, parched-grain balls, churned curds) and asking when they will ever become strong enough to charge.