Shloka 12

Ādi-parva Adhyāya 132 — Duryodhana’s Instructions to Purocana at Vāraṇāvata

Lākṣāgṛha Planning

Devanagari script

स्पर्थमानस्तु पार्थेन सूतपुत्रो5त्यमर्षण: । दुर्योधनं समाश्रित्य सोडवमन्यत पाण्डवान्‌,सूतपुत्र कर्ण सदा अर्जुनसे लाग-डाँट रखता और अत्यन्त अमर्षमें भरकर दुर्योधनका सहारा ले पाण्डवोंका अपमान किया करता था

Transliteration

spardhamānastu pārthena sūtaputro 'tyamarṣaṇaḥ | duryodhanaṃ samāśritya so 'vamat p�āṇḍavān ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: Von Rivalität gegen Pārtha (Arjuna) verzehrt, nahm Karṇa—der Sohn des Wagenlenkers, jähzornig und unfähig, Kränkung zu ertragen—Zuflucht bei Duryodhanas Beistand und beleidigte, gestützt auf diese Macht, die Pāṇḍavas immer wieder.

Word by Word

• स्पर्धमानः: competing, vying
• स्पर्धमानः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्पर्ध् (धातु) → स्पर्धमान (वर्तमानकृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• पार्थेन: with/by Partha (Arjuna)
• पार्थेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• सूतपुत्रः: the charioteer’s son (Karna)
• सूतपुत्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूतपुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अत्यमर्षणः: very intolerant/irascible
• अत्यमर्षणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अत्यमर्षण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दुर्योधनम्: Duryodhana
• दुर्योधनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्योधन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• समाश्रित्य: having resorted to/taking refuge in
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-आ-श्रि (धातु) → समाश्रित्य (क्त्वान्त अव्यय)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उद्वमन्यत: despised/held in contempt
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-मन्य् (धातु) → उद्वमन्य (लङ्)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Singular

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

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Pārtha (Arjuna)
• Karṇa (Sūtaputra)
• Duryodhana
• Pāṇḍavas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Unchecked rivalry (spardhā) and intolerance (amarṣa) corrode character: when one leans on partisan backing rather than self-restraint, contempt for others becomes habitual, undermining dharma and sowing future conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator describes Karṇa’s ongoing antagonism toward Arjuna. Relying on Duryodhana’s patronage, Karṇa repeatedly demeans the Pāṇḍavas, intensifying factional hostility between the Kauravas and Pāṇḍavas.