Shloka 19

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

Devanagari script

आनृशंस्यमथो वृत्तं रक्षन्‌ सत्पुरुषोचितम्‌ । अतोडर्थकरमप्येतन्न करोम्यद्य ते वच:

Transliteration

ānṛśaṁsyam atho vṛttaṁ rakṣan satpuruṣocitam | ato ’rthakaram apy etan na karomy adya te vacaḥ ||

Translation

Karna dit : « Même dans une telle détresse, je maintiendrai la compassion et préserverai une conduite digne des hommes de bien. Aussi, quand bien même ton ordre serait avantageux, aujourd’hui je n’exécuterai pas tes paroles. »

Word by Word

• {'ānṛśaṁsya': 'non-cruelty

• kindness', 'atho': 'and then

• moreover', 'vṛtta': 'conduct

• established practice', 'rakṣan': 'protecting

• maintaining', 'satpuruṣa-ucita': 'befitting a good/noble person', 'ataḥ': 'therefore

• for this reason', 'artha-kara': 'benefit-producing

• profitable', 'api': 'even

• although', 'etat': 'this', 'na karomi': 'I do not do

• I will not perform', 'adya': 'today

• now', 'te': 'your', 'vacaḥ': 'words

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Karna

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights steadfast adherence to compassionate, noble conduct (ānṛśaṁsya and satpuruṣocita vṛtta) even when disobedience may forfeit practical advantage; ethical integrity is placed above expediency.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna responds to an instruction addressed to him, stating that despite the potential benefit of complying, he will not follow it at this moment because he is committed to preserving compassion and the standards of behavior expected of a noble person.