Shloka 5

कर्णस्य मन्त्रः — Duryodhana-प्रति नीति-विचारः

Karna’s Counsel on Strategy toward the Pāṇḍavas

Devanagari script

अपि न: संशयस्यान्ते मन: संतुष्टिमावहेत्‌ । अपि नो भागधेयानि शुभानि स्यु: परंतप,परंतप! आपसे रहस्यकी बात सुनकर क्या हमारे इस संशयका नाश और मनको संतोष होगा और क्या हमारा भाग्य उदय होगा?

Transliteration

api naḥ saṁśayasyānte manaḥ saṁtuṣṭim āvahet | api no bhāgadhyeyāni śubhāni syuḥ parantapa parantapa ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: „Wenn wir diese geheime Lehre hören, wird sie endlich unseren Zweifel beenden und unseren Geist zufriedenstellen? Und, o Bezwinger der Feinde, werden uns wahrhaft glückverheißendes Geschick und der uns zustehende Anteil zuteilwerden?“

Word by Word

अपिperhaps; also; indeed (interrogative nuance: 'will it?')

नःof us / our

संशयस्यof (the) doubt

अन्तेat the end

मनःmind

संतुष्टिम्contentment; satisfaction

आवहेत्may bring; would bring

अपिperhaps; also; (again, interrogative nuance)

नःof us / our

भागधेयानिfortunes; allotted shares; destinies

शुभानिauspicious; favorable

स्युःmay be; would be

परंतपO scorcher of foes (epithet)

परंतपO scorcher of foes (repeated address)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

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 frames a dharmic expectation from true instruction: genuine ‘rahasya’ (confidential wisdom) should dissolve uncertainty (saṁśaya), steady the mind in contentment (saṁtuṣṭi), and orient one toward auspicious outcomes—understood as rightful, ethically aligned fortune rather than mere gain.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana voices a hopeful question on behalf of listeners: after hearing a confidential explanation, they ask whether their lingering doubts will be resolved and whether favorable destiny—one’s proper share and well-being—will manifest, addressing a heroic figure with the epithet ‘Parantapa’.