Shloka 21

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

Devanagari script

तब सूर्यपुत्र कर्ण और सुबलकुमार शकुनि आदि अनेक उपायोंसे पाण्डवोंको मार डालनेकी इच्छा करने लगे

Transliteration

tataḥ sūryaputraḥ karṇaḥ subalaputraḥ śakuniś ca ādayaḥ anekopāyaiḥ pāṇḍavān mārayituṃ icchāṃ cakruḥ |

Translation

Dann begannen Karṇa, der Sohn der Sonne, und Śakuni, der Sohn Subalas, zusammen mit anderen, vielerlei Ränke zu ersinnen, getrieben von dem Wunsch, die Pāṇḍavas zu töten.

Word by Word

तदाthen

सूर्यपुत्रःthe son of the Sun (Karna)

कर्णःKarna

चand

सुबलकुमारःthe son of Subala (Shakuni)

शकुनिःShakuni

आदिand others; etc.

अनेकाःmany

उपायैःby means/stratagems

पाण्डवान्the Pandavas

मारयितुम्to kill (to cause to die)

इच्छाम्desire

चक्रुःthey made/formed (they conceived)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Karṇa

Śakuni

Subala

Pāṇḍavas

Sūrya (Sun-god)

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?

When ambition and jealousy dominate counsel, strategy becomes a tool of adharma. The verse highlights the ethical decline that occurs when opponents are no longer treated as rivals within dharma but as targets for elimination.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports that Karṇa and Śakuni, along with others, begin planning multiple schemes with the intent to kill the Pāṇḍavas, signaling an escalation from hostility to active conspiracy.