Shloka 13

भीष्मस्य दुर्योधनं प्रति कुलहितोपदेशः | Bhīṣma’s Counsel to Duryodhana on Dynastic Welfare

Devanagari script

मम प्राणेन ये शत्रूज्शक्ता: प्रतिसमासितुम्‌ । मन्यन्ते ते कथं तेषामहं छिन्द्यां मनोरथम्‌,शत्रुओंसे वैर बाँधकर जो नित्य मेरी उपासना करते हैं तथा जैसे वसुगण इन्द्रको प्रणाम करते हैं, उसी प्रकार जो सदा मुझे मस्तक झुकाते हैं, मेरी ही प्राणशक्तिके भरोसे जो शत्रुओंके सामने डटकर खड़े होनेका साहस करते हैं और इसी आशासे जो मेरा आदर करते हैं, उनके मनोरथको मैं छिन्न-भिन्न कैसे करूँ?

Transliteration

mama prāṇena ye śatrūñ śaktāḥ pratisamāsitum | manyante te kathaṃ teṣām ahaṃ chindyāṃ manoratham ||

Translation

Dijo Karna: «Aquellos que creen que, sostenidos por mi propio aliento vital y mi poder, pueden mantenerse firmes ante el enemigo, ¿cómo podría yo quebrar la esperanza de tales hombres?»

Word by Word

ममof me / my

प्राणेनby (my) life-force

येwho (those who)

शत्रूञ्enemies

शक्ताःable / capable

प्रतिसमासितुम्to confront / to stand against

मन्यन्तेthey think / believe

तेthey / those

कथम्how

तेषाम्of them

अहम्I

छिन्द्याम्should I cut / destroy

मनोरथम्desire / wish (lit. mind-chariot)

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

Karna

enemies (śatravaḥ)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Karna frames loyalty as an ethical obligation: when others place their trust and courage in one’s protection, it is unrighteous to betray that reliance by abandoning them or destroying their hopes.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Udyoga Parva, as war becomes imminent, Karna explains why he cannot withdraw or act against those aligned with him: many depend on his strength to face enemies, and he refuses to break their confidence and expectations.