Shloka 25

Devanagari script

कृप: शल्य: सौमदत्तिविकर्णो विविंशति: कर्णदुर्योधनौ च | एतान्‌ हत्वा कीदृशं तत्‌ सुखं स्याद्‌ यद्‌ विन्देथास्तदनु ब्रूहि पार्थ,कुन्तीनन्दन! ऐसा कौन-सा सुख हो सकता है, जिसे आप कृपाचार्य, शल्य, भूरिश्रवा, विकर्ण, विविंशति, कर्ण तथा दुर्योधन--इन सबका वध करके पाना चाहते हैं, कृपया बताइये

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

kṛpaḥ śalyaḥ saumadattivikārṇo viviṁśatiḥ karṇaduryodhanau ca |

etān hatvā kīdṛśaṁ tat sukhaṁ syād yad vindethās tad anu brūhi pārtha kuntīnandana ||

Translation

Sanjaya said: “Kṛpa, Śalya, the son of Somadatta (Bhūriśravas), Vikarna, Viviṁśati, and also Karṇa and Duryodhana—having slain these men, what kind of happiness could that be which you hope to gain? Tell me, O Pārtha, son of Kuntī.”

Word by Word

• {'sañjaya uvāca': 'Sañjaya said', 'kṛpaḥ': 'Kṛpa (Kṛpācārya), the preceptor/warrior on the Kaurava side', 'śalyaḥ': 'Śalya, king of Madra, a major Kaurava ally', 'saumadattiḥ': 'son of Somadatta

• epithet pointing to Bhūriśravas', 'vikārṇaḥ': 'Vikarna, a Kaurava prince (son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra)', 'viviṁśatiḥ': 'Viviṁśati, a Kaurava prince (son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra)', 'karṇaḥ': 'Karṇa, chief ally of Duryodhana', 'duryodhanaḥ': 'Duryodhana, eldest Kaurava, principal antagonist', 'etān': 'these (persons)', 'hatvā': 'having slain, after killing', 'kīdṛśam': 'of what sort? what kind?', 'tat sukham': 'that happiness/pleasure', 'syāt': 'could be, would be', 'yad': 'which', 'vindethāḥ': 'you would obtain/attain', 'tad anu brūhi': 'therefore tell (me) / speak about that', 'pārtha': 'son of Pṛthā (Kuntī)

• Arjuna', 'kuntīnandana': 'son of Kuntī

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Arjuna (Pārtha, Kuntīnandana)
• Kṛpa (Kṛpācārya)
• Śalya
• Somadatta
• Bhūriśravas (Saumadatti)
• Vikarna
• Viviṁśati
• Karṇa
• Duryodhana

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a moral challenge: even if victory is possible, what genuine ‘happiness’ can arise from killing revered elders, kinsmen, and renowned warriors? It presses the listener to examine ends versus means and to justify war in terms of dharma rather than mere gain.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports a pointed question addressed to Arjuna (Pārtha): if Arjuna seeks some benefit through battle, he must explain what happiness he expects after slaying leading Kaurava champions—Kṛpa, Śalya, Bhūriśravas, Vikarna, Viviṁśati, Karṇa, and Duryodhana.