Shloka 11

Aśvatthāman’s Arrow-Screen and the Confrontation with Yudhiṣṭhira (द्रौणि–युधिष्ठिर-संग्रामः)

Devanagari script

सर्वेषां वृष्णिवीराणां कृष्णे लक्ष्मी: प्रतिष्ठिता । सर्वेषां पाण्डुपुत्राणां जयः पार्थे प्रतेष्ठित:

Transliteration

sarveṣāṁ vṛṣṇivīrāṇāṁ kṛṣṇe lakṣmīḥ pratiṣṭhitā | sarveṣāṁ pāṇḍuputrāṇāṁ jayaḥ pārthe pratiṣṭhitaḥ ||

Translation

Karna sprach: „Unter allen Helden der Vṛṣṇis ist Wohlstand und glückverheißendes Geschick fest in Kṛṣṇa gegründet. Und unter allen Söhnen Pāṇḍus ist der Sieg fest in Pārtha (Arjuna) gegründet.“

Word by Word

सर्वेषाम्of all

वृष्णिवीराणाम्of the heroes of the Vrishni clan

कृष्णेin Krishna

लक्ष्मीःfortune; Lakshmi

प्रतिष्ठिताis established; is firmly placed

सर्वेषाम्of all

पाण्डुपुत्राणाम्of the sons of Pandu

जयःvictory

पार्थेin Partha (Arjuna)

प्रतिष्ठितःis established; is firmly placed

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

Karna

Vṛṣṇis

Kṛṣṇa

Pāṇḍavas (sons of Pāṇḍu)

Pārtha (Arjuna)

Lakṣmī

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 highlights a moral-psychological truth of the epic: enduring success is not merely a product of force but of alignment with auspiciousness and right guidance. Karna concedes that Lakṣmī (fortune and legitimacy) abides with Kṛṣṇa, and that the Pāṇḍavas’ victory is anchored in Arjuna—suggesting that where divine counsel and dharmic orientation are present, victory becomes stable.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the midst of the Kurukṣetra war (Karna Parva), Karna speaks with a clear-eyed assessment of the opposing side’s strengths. He recognizes Kṛṣṇa as the locus of auspicious power for the Vṛṣṇis and identifies Arjuna as the decisive bearer of victory among the Pāṇḍavas, implicitly acknowledging the formidable combination of Kṛṣṇa’s guidance and Arjuna’s prowess.