Shloka 13

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच एवमुक्तस्तु कर्णेन राजा दुर्योधनस्तदा । नैवोत्थातुं मनश्नक्रे स्वर्गाय कृतनिश्चय:,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--राजन्‌! कर्णके ऐसा कहनेपर राजा दुर्योधनने स्वर्गलोकमें ही जानेका निश्चय करके उस समय उठनेका विचार नहीं किया

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca evam uktas tu karṇena rājā duryodhanas tadā | naiva utthātuṁ manaś cakre svargāya kṛta-niścayaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: When Karṇa had spoken thus, King Duryodhana, having at that moment fixed his resolve upon going to heaven, did not even set his mind on rising.

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaiśampāyana

उवाचsaid

एवम्thus

उक्तःhaving been spoken to / addressed

तुbut

कर्णेनby Karṇa

राजाthe king

दुर्योधनःDuryodhana

तदाthen

नnot

एवindeed

उत्थातुम्to rise / to get up

मनःmind

चक्रेmade / resolved

स्वर्गायfor heaven / to heaven

कृतनिश्चयःone who has made a firm decision

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Karṇa

Duryodhana

Svarga (heaven)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores how a fixed resolve—especially when fueled by pride or a rigid self-image—can make a person unreceptive to advice. Ethically, it warns that ‘certainty’ is not always wisdom: one must examine whether one’s determination aligns with dharma and openness to correction.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Karṇa speaks to him, Duryodhana reacts by remaining unmoved. He has decided upon ‘going to heaven’ (i.e., embracing a chosen end or outcome) and therefore does not even think of getting up—signaling obstinate refusal to shift course in response to counsel.