Shloka 49
Devanagari script
कृपश्चाचार्यमुख्यो5यं महर्षेगौॉतमादपि
Transliteration
kṛpaś cācāryamukhyo ’yaṃ maharṣe gautamād api
Translation
Duryodhana said: “This Kṛpa, foremost among teachers, is even more venerable than the great sage Gautama.”
Word by Word
कृपःKripa (proper name)
कृपः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootकृप
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
चand
च:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच
आचार्य-मुख्यःchief among teachers
आचार्य-मुख्यः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootआचार्यमुख्य
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
अयम्this (man)
अयम्:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootइदम्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
महर्षेःfrom the great sage
महर्षेः:
Apadana
TypeNoun
Rootमहर्षि
FormMasculine, Ablative, Singular
गौतमात्from Gautama
गौतमात्:
Apadana
TypeNoun
Rootगौतम
FormMasculine, Ablative, Singular
अपिalso / even
अपि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि
Speaker
दुर्योधन उवाच
Characters & Entities
द
दुर्योधन (Duryodhana)क
कृप (Kṛpa/Kṛpācārya)ग
गौतम (Gautama)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Cross References
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the cultural-ethical weight of the ācārya (teacher) as a supreme authority figure; by elevating Kṛpa’s status above even a famed ṛṣi like Gautama, Duryodhana underscores that counsel and legitimacy in crisis are sought from revered elders and preceptors.
In Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Duryodhana is speaking and invokes Kṛpa’s eminence—calling him the foremost teacher and exceptionally venerable—likely to strengthen his position by appealing to respected authority within the Kuru court.