Shloka 11

Devanagari script

सूर्य उवाच यदि तात ददास्येते वज्िणे कुण्डले शुभे । त्वमप्येनमथो ब्रूया विजयार्थ महाबलम्‌

Transliteration

sūrya uvāca yadi tāta dadāsy ete vajriṇe kuṇḍale śubhe | tvam apy enam atho brūyā vijayārthaṃ mahābalam ||

Translation

Sūrya sprach: „Mein lieber Sohn, wenn du diese glückverheißenden Ohrringe dem Vajrin (Indra) geben willst, dann sprich auch du ihn an—so gewaltig er auch ist—und bitte, dass es um des Sieges willen sei.“

Word by Word

सूर्यःthe Sun (god)

उवाचsaid

यदिif

तातdear son / dear one

ददासिyou give

एतेthese two

वज्रिणेto the wielder of the thunderbolt (Indra)

कुण्डलेearrings (two)

शुभेauspicious, splendid (two)

त्वम्you

अपिalso, even

एनम्him

अथthen

ब्रूयाःyou should say / tell

विजयार्थम्for the sake of victory

महाबलम्very strong, mighty

Speaker

सूर्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sūrya

Vajrin (Indra)

kuṇḍala (earrings)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even when generosity is demanded under pressure, one should act with discernment: if a costly gift must be given, one may also speak up to secure a just outcome—here, requesting that the act be tied to victory—so that dharma (giving) is balanced with responsibility toward one’s larger duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sūrya advises his son (in context, Karṇa) about Indra’s request for the auspicious earrings. He says that if the earrings are to be given to Vajrin (Indra), then Karṇa should also address Indra and ask that it be for the sake of victory, framing the exchange as a conditional, purposeful act rather than a one-sided loss.