Shloka 18

Devanagari script

विक्रमं च प्रशंसन्ति क्षत्रियस्य विशाम्पते । स्वको हि धर्म: शूराणां विक्रम: पार्थिवर्षभ,राजन! क्षत्रियके लिये पराक्रमकी ही प्रशंसा की जाती है। नृपश्रेष्ठ! पराक्रम करना ही शूरवीरोंका स्वधर्म है

Transliteration

vikramaṃ ca praśaṃsanti kṣatriyasya viśāmpate | svako hi dharmaḥ śūrāṇāṃ vikramaḥ pārthivarṣabha rājann |

Translation

O lord of the people, they praise valour as the defining excellence of a Kshatriya. Indeed, O bull among kings, for the heroic, exerting prowess is their own ordained duty—their svadharma.

Word by Word

विक्रमम्valor, prowess

चand

प्रशंसन्तिthey praise

क्षत्रियस्यof a kshatriya

विशाम्पतेO lord of the people

स्वकःone's own, proper

हिindeed, for

धर्मःduty, dharma

शूराणाम्of heroes, of the brave

विक्रमःvalor, prowess

पार्थिव-ऋषभO bull among kings

राजन्O king

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

Karna (speaker)

a king addressed as viśāmpati / pārthivarṣabha / rājan (unnamed in this verse)

Kshatriya (social-ethical role)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse asserts a normative ideal of Kshatriya-dharma: a warrior-ruler is chiefly praised for vikrama (valour), and courageous exertion is presented as the proper, defining duty (svaka dharma) of the heroic.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna addresses a king with honorific epithets and frames the ethical standard by which Kshatriyas are judged—emphasizing that bravery and decisive prowess are what society commends in a ruler and in heroic men.