Shloka 293

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

Devanagari script

मद्रके संगतं नास्ति मद्रको हि सदामल: । मद्रनिवासीके साथ न तो वैर करे और न मित्रता ही स्थापित करे, क्योंकि उसमें सौहार्दकी भावना नहीं होती। मद्रनिवासी सदा पापमें ही डूबा रहता है

Transliteration

madrake saṅgataṃ nāsti madrako hi sadāmalaḥ |

Translation

Karna sprach: „Mit einem Mann aus Madra kann es keine wahre Gemeinschaft geben; denn der Madraka ist stets befleckt. Darum soll man weder Feindschaft eingehen noch Freundschaft schließen mit einem Bewohner Madrās, da ihm die Neigung zu echter Wohlgesinntheit fehlt und er im Unrecht versunken bleibt.“

Word by Word

मद्रकेin/with a Madraka (man of Madra)

सङ्गतम्association, companionship

नnot

अस्तिis/exists

मद्रकःa Madraka (man of Madra)

हिindeed, for

सदाalways

अमलःstainless, pure

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

Karna

Madra (country/people)

Madraka (inhabitant of Madra)

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 warns against forming close bonds—whether friendship or enmity—with those portrayed as lacking goodwill and moral steadiness, implying that association should be guided by discernment of character and ethical reliability.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna is speaking in the Karna Parva and delivers a harsh, generalized judgement about the people of Madra, using it as counsel about whom to associate with during the tense, conflict-driven circumstances of the war narrative.