Shloka 13
Sundopasundayoḥ Tapas–Varadāna–Prasaṅgaḥ
Sunda and Upasunda: Austerities and the Boon
वाहनानि प्रभूतानि मित्राणि च कुलानि च । यावन्न तेषां गान्धारे तावद् विक्रम पार्थिव,राजन! गान्धारीनन्दन! जबतक पाण्डवोंके पास बहुत-से वाहन, मित्र और कुट॒म्बी नहीं हो जाते, तभीतक तुम उनके ऊपर पराक्रम कर लो
vāhanāni prabhūtāni mitrāṇi ca kulāni ca | yāvan na teṣāṃ gāndhāre tāvad vikrama pārthiva, rājan! gāndhārīnandana! |
Karna sprach: „Solange sie noch keine Fülle an Wagen und anderen Fahrzeugen, Verbündeten und stützenden Familien gewonnen haben, o König — o Sohn der Gandhārī —, zeige jetzt deinen Mut gegen sie. Schlag zu, solange den Pāṇḍavas noch eine feste Grundlage an Mitteln und Beziehungen fehlt.“
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a pragmatic, power-centered ethic: act decisively before an opponent gains resources, alliances, and social backing. It implicitly raises a dharmic tension—whether exploiting another’s weakness for advantage is righteous or merely expedient.
Karna urges Duryodhana (addressed as ‘son of Gandhārī’) to move against the Pāṇḍavas while they still lack strong material support (vehicles/logistics), allies, and clan-based backing—an argument for preemptive action in a developing rivalry.