Shloka 173

कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ४०

Karṇa’s Pressure on the Pāñcālas; Duryodhana Disabled; Arjuna’s Counter-Advance

Devanagari script

तद्धच: सत्यमित्येव मौख्याद्‌ दर्पाच्च मन्यते | उन सारे अल्पबुद्धि बालकोंद्वारा ठगा गया वह पक्षी मूर्खता और अभिमानसे उनकी बातको सत्य मानने लगा

Transliteration

tad vacaḥ satyam ity eva maukhyād darpāc ca manyate |

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Aus schierer Torheit und auch aus Hochmut begann der Vogel—von jenen stumpfsinnigen Knaben betrogen—ihre Worte für nichts als Wahrheit zu halten.

Word by Word

• तत्: that (thing/statement)
• तत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• वचः: speech, statement, word
• वचः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस्
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• सत्यम्: true, truth
• सत्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• इति: thus, as (quotation marker)
• इति: Karma
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

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

• मौख्यात्: from foolishness, due to stupidity
• मौख्यात्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मौख्य
• Form: neuter, ablative, singular

• दर्पात्: from pride, due to arrogance
• दर्पात्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्प
• Form: masculine, ablative, singular

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

• मन्यते: thinks, considers
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (मन्यते)
• Form: present, 3rd, singular, ātmanepada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• संजय (Sañjaya)
• पक्षी (a bird)
• बालक (boys/children)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse warns that gullibility (maukhyā) and pride (darpa) can make a person accept falsehood as truth; ethical discernment requires humility and careful judgment rather than trusting flattering or manipulative speech.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates that a bird, having been tricked by dull-witted boys, comes to believe their statements; his acceptance of their words as true is driven by naivety and arrogance.