Shloka 17

Nārada’s Visit at Indraprastha and Counsel on Concord; Introduction to Sundopasunda–Tilottamā

Devanagari script

प्रेष्यतां चैव राधेयस्तेषामागमनाय वै । तैस्तै: प्रकारै: संनीय पात्यन्तामाप्तकारिभि:,अथवा पाण्डवोंको यहाँ बुला लानेके लिये राधानन्दन कर्णको भेजा जाय और यहाँ लाकर विश्वसनीय कार्यकर्ताओंद्वारा विभिन्न उपायोंसे उन सबको मार गिराया जाय

Transliteration

preṣyatāṃ caiva rādheyaḥ teṣām āgamanāya vai | tais taiḥ prakāraiḥ saṃnīya pātyantām āptakāribhiḥ ||

Translation

Duryodhana sagte: „Man soll Radheya (Karna) aussenden, um sie hierher zu bringen. Und sobald man sie auf die eine oder andere Weise hergelockt hat, sollen vertrauenswürdige Handlanger sie niederschlagen.“

Word by Word

• प्रेष्यताम्: let (him) be sent
• प्रेष्यताम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रेष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्, आत्मनेपद, प्रथम, एकवचन, कर्मणि (passive), impersonal passive imperative

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• राधेयः: Radheya (Karna)
• राधेयः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राधेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तेषाम्: of them
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुं (सामान्य), षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• आगमनाय: for (their) coming/arrival
• आगमनाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आगमन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन

• वै: indeed/assuredly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• तैः: by those
• तैः: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुं (सामान्य), तृतीया, बहुवचन

• तैः: by those (various)
• तैः: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुं (सामान्य), तृतीया, बहुवचन

• प्रकारैः: by methods/ways
• प्रकारैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• संनीय: having brought (them) together
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-नी (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), कर्तरि, having brought/led together

• पात्यन्ताम्: let (them) be struck down
• पात्यन्ताम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु) / पातय् (णिजन्त)
• Form: लोट्, आत्मनेपद, प्रथम, बहुवचन, कर्मणि (passive), let them be made to fall/let them be slain

• आप्तकारिभिः: by trusted agents (reliable doers)
• आप्तकारिभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आप्तकारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

Speaker

दुर्योधन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• दुर्योधन (Duryodhana)
• राधेय / कर्ण (Radheya / Karna)
• पाण्डव (Pandavas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how the pursuit of power can lead to adharma: using deception and covert violence through ‘trusted agents’ replaces transparent, righteous action. It serves as a moral warning about ends-justify-means thinking and the corrosion of ethical restraint in political rivalry.

What is happening in the narrative?

Duryodhana proposes sending Karna (Radheya) to bring the Pandavas to their vicinity, and then having dependable operatives kill them through assorted stratagems—an explicit plan of entrapment and assassination.