Shloka 1

जयद्रथ-निग्रहः — Jayadratha Restrained, Shamed, and Released

Devanagari script

#:2:.7 #:ड-. () हि २ 7 पजञ्चपज्चाशर्दाधिकद्विशततमो< ध्याय: कर्ण और पुरोहितकी 3 धनकी वैष्णवयज्ञके वैशम्पायन उवाच जित्वा तु पृथिवीं राजन्‌ सूतपुत्रो जनाधिप । अब्रवीत्‌ परवीरघ्नो दुर्योधनमिदं वच:,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--महाराज जनमेजय! शत्रुवीरोंका संहार करनेवाले सूतपुत्र कर्णने सारी पृथ्वीको जीतकर दुर्योधनसे इस प्रकार कहा

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca | jitvā tu pṛthivīṃ rājan sūtaputro janādhipa | abravīt paravīraghno duryodhanam idaṃ vacaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “O King Janamejaya, after conquering the earth, Karṇa—the son of a charioteer, slayer of hostile heroes—addressed Duryodhana with these words.”

Word by Word

• {'jitvā': 'having conquered, having won', 'tu': 'indeed

• but (connective emphasis)', 'pṛthivīm': 'the earth

• the realm/kingdoms of the world', 'rājan': 'O king (vocative address)', 'sūtaputraḥ': 'son of a sūta (charioteer/bard lineage)

• epithet of Karṇa', 'janādhipa': 'lord of people

• ruler (here used as an address)', 'abravīt': 'said

• spoke', 'paravīraghnaḥ': 'slayer of enemy heroes', 'duryodhanam': 'to Duryodhana (accusative)', 'idam': 'this', 'vacaḥ': 'speech

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Janamejaya
• Karṇa
• Duryodhana
• Pṛthivī (the earth/realm)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights that military success and political dominance are not endpoints; they become the setting for consequential counsel and decisions. It implicitly invites reflection on how power acquired through conquest should be directed, and how alliances shape ethical outcomes.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates to King Janamejaya that Karṇa, after achieving widespread conquest, approaches Duryodhana and begins to speak—introducing the forthcoming dialogue and its implications for the Kauravas’ course of action.