Shloka 41

कर्णभीमसमागमः | Karṇa–Bhīma Encounter

Devanagari script

शल्य उवाच एवं चेन्मन्यसे राजन्‌ गान्धारे प्रियदर्शन । तस्मात्‌ ते यत्‌ प्रियं किंचित्‌ तत्‌ सर्व करवाण्यहम्‌

Transliteration

śalya uvāca: evaṁ cen manyase rājan gāndhāre priyadarśana | tasmāt te yat priyaṁ kiñcit tat sarvaṁ karavāṇy aham ||

Translation

Śalya said: “If this is what you think, O king—O son of Gandhari, pleasing to behold—then whatever task of yours is dear to you, I shall do all of it.”

Word by Word

• {'śalya uvāca': 'Shalya said', 'evaṁ': 'thus, in this manner', 'cet': 'if', 'manyase': 'you think, you consider', 'rājan': 'O king', 'gāndhāre': 'O son of Gandhari (address to Duryodhana)', 'priyadarśana': 'pleasant to look at

• charming in appearance (vocative)', 'tasmāt': 'therefore, for that reason', 'te': 'your, to you', 'yat': 'whatever, that which', 'priyam': 'dear, pleasing, desired', 'kiñcit': 'anything at all, some', 'tat': 'that', 'sarvam': 'all, entirely', 'karavāṇi': 'I shall do (optative/future-intent sense: ‘let me do / I will do’)', 'aham': 'I'}

Speaker

शल्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Shalya
• Duryodhana
• Gandhari

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical weight of commitment in leadership and war: a counselor/ally publicly offers to carry out what the king desires, showing how loyalty and speech-acts can bind one to consequential actions—raising the question of whether pleasing the ruler aligns with dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Shalya addresses Duryodhana respectfully (as Gandhari’s son and as king) and agrees to fulfill whatever Duryodhana considers dear or necessary, signaling readiness to act in support of the Kaurava cause in the unfolding battle context.