Shloka 13

Adhyāya 203 — Tilottamā-sṛṣṭiḥ

Creation and Commissioning of Tilottamā

Devanagari script

कर्ण उवाच योजितावर्थमानाभ्यां सर्वकार्येष्वनन्तरौ । न मन्त्रयेतां त्वच्छेय: किमद्भुततरं तत:,कर्ण बोला--महाराज! भीष्मजी और द्रोणाचार्यकों आपकी ओरसे सदा धन और सम्मान प्राप्त होता रहता है। इन्हें आप अपना अन्तरंग सुहृद् समझकर सभी कार्योंमें इनकी सलाह लेते हैं। फिर भी यदि ये आपके भलेकी सलाह न दें तो इससे बढ़कर आश्चर्यकी बात और क्या हो सकती है?

Transliteration

karṇa uvāca | yojitāv arthamānābhyāṃ sarvakāryeṣv anantarau | na mantrayetāṃ tvacchreyaḥ kim adbhutataram tataḥ ||

Translation

Karna sprach: „O König, Bhishma und Drona werden beständig durch deinen Reichtum und deine Ehren erhalten, und in jedem Vorhaben stehen sie dir nahe. Wenn sie, obwohl du sie wie vertraute Wohlwollende behandelst, dir nicht zum wahren Besten raten — was könnte erstaunlicher sein als das?“

Word by Word

कर्णःKarna

उवाचsaid

योजितौappointed/engaged

अर्थमानाभ्याम्with wealth and honor (lit. wealth-and-respect)

सर्वकार्येषुin all tasks/affairs

अनन्तरौclose/inner (confidential)

नnot

मन्त्रयेताम्they should advise/counsel

त्वत्from you/than you

श्रेयःwhat is beneficial/the good

किम्what?

अद्भुततरम्more wonderful/more astonishing

तत्than that/thereafter

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

Karṇa

Duryodhana

Bhīṣma

Droṇa

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?

A ruler should seek and receive śreyas (true welfare) from trusted elders and advisers; if those who are closest—benefiting from the king’s patronage—fail to give honest, beneficial counsel, it signals a serious ethical and political breakdown in governance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna addresses the king (contextually Duryodhana), pointing out that Bhishma and Drona are continually honored and supported by him and are involved in all his affairs; therefore, if they do not advise him for his good, it is a startling and troubling situation.