Shloka 21

Devanagari script

तान्‌ विक्रमेण जित्वेमामखिलां भुड्क्षव मेदिनीम्‌ | अतो नानयं प्रपश्यामि कार्योपायं जनाधिप,पराक्रमसे पाण्डवोंको जीतकर इस सारी पृथ्वीका राज्य भोगो। नरेश्वर! इसके सिवा दूसरा कोई कार्यसिद्धिका उपाय मैं नहीं देखता

Transliteration

tān vikrameṇa jitvemām akhilāṁ bhuṅkṣva medinīm | ato nānyaṁ prapaśyāmi kāryopāyaṁ janādhipa ||

Translation

Karna said: “Conquer them by your own valor, and then enjoy sovereignty over this entire earth. O lord of men, apart from this I see no other means by which your purpose can be accomplished.”

Word by Word

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• विक्रमेण: by valor
• विक्रमेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विक्रम
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• जित्वा: having conquered
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here)

• इमाम्: this
• इमाम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• अखिलाम्: entire
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• भुङ्क्ष्व: enjoy / rule
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज्
• Form: लोट् (imperative), Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मेदिनीम्: the earth
• मेदिनीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेदिनी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• अतः: therefore
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• अन्यम्: another
• अन्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रपश्यामि: I see / perceive
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + पश्य्
• Form: लट् (present), First, Singular, Parasmaipada

• कार्योपायम्: means to accomplish the task
• कार्योपायम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य + उपाय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• जनाधिप: O lord of men (king)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनाधिप
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Karna
• Janādhipa (the king addressed; contextually Duryodhana)
• Pāṇḍavas (implied by context: ‘them’)
• Medinī (the Earth/kingdom)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames political success as dependent on personal valor and decisive action: Karna urges the king to rely on kṣatriya prowess to secure sovereignty, presenting conquest as the sole effective means to fulfill the intended objective.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna is giving counsel to the king (addressed as janādhipa, contextually Duryodhana), asserting that victory over the opposing side (implied to be the Pāṇḍavas) through force of arms is the only practical strategy, after which the king should rule the whole earth.