Shloka 28

धृतराष्ट्र–संजय संवादः: कर्ण–घटोत्कचयोर्निशायुद्धवर्णनम्

Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Sañjaya Dialogue: Description of the Night Engagement of Karṇa and Ghaṭotkaca

Devanagari script

महाप्रभावा बहवस्त्वया तुल्याधिकाडपि वा

Transliteration

mahāprabhāvā bahavas tvayā tulyādhikāḍ api vā

Translation

Sañjaya said: “Many men of great power exist—some equal to you, and some even superior.”

Word by Word

• महाप्रभावाः: very mighty / of great power
• महाप्रभावाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाप्रभाव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• बहवः: many
• बहवः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• त्वया: by you / with you
• त्वया: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Instrumental, Singular

• तुल्याः: equal (to you)
• तुल्याः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुल्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अधिकाः: superior / greater
• अधिकाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अपि: also / even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि
• Form: true

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा
• Form: true

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Power and excellence are not unique to any one person; recognizing that others may be equal or superior encourages humility, careful judgment, and ethical restraint in leadership—especially in the context of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya, narrating events to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, makes a pointed observation about the presence of many mighty warriors, some comparable to the addressed person and some even greater—framing the battlefield reality and tempering overconfidence.