Shloka 24

सूर्य–कर्णोपदेशः

Sūrya’s Counsel to Karṇa on Kīrti and the Kuṇḍala

Devanagari script

उपाय: को नु भवतां मतः सागरलड्घने । इयं हि महती सेना सागरश्नातिदुस्तर:,“मित्रो! हमारी यह सेना बहुत बड़ी है और सामने अत्यन्त दुस्तर महासागर लहरें ले रहा है। ऐशी दशामें आपलोग समुद्रके पार जानेके लिये कौन-सा उपाय ठीक समझते हैं?

Transliteration

upāyaḥ ko nu bhavatāṃ mataḥ sāgara-laṅghane | iyaṃ hi mahatī senā sāgaraś cātidustaraḥ ||

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya said: “What means, in your judgment, should be adopted for crossing the ocean? For this army is indeed vast, and the ocean before us is exceedingly hard to pass.”

Word by Word

उपायःmeans, expedient

कःwhich? who?

नुindeed, then (interrogative particle)

भवताम्of you (honorific)

मतःthought, considered (as)

सागरin/over the ocean

लङ्घनेin crossing (overstepping)

इयम्this

हिindeed, for

महतीgreat, huge

सेनाarmy

सागरात्from/than the ocean

अतिexceedingly, very

दुस्तराhard to cross

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mārkaṇḍeya

ocean (sāgara)

army (senā)

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

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights prudent leadership: before undertaking a major undertaking that affects many (a vast army), one must realistically assess obstacles and seek an appropriate, well-considered means rather than acting on impulse.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya addresses others in counsel, pointing out that the host is large and the ocean is extremely difficult to cross, and asks what plan or method they consider suitable for getting across.