Shloka 1

Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 165 — Bhīṣma’s Appraisal and Karṇa’s Rebuttal (भीष्म–कर्ण विवादः)

Devanagari script

ऑपन-माज बक। डे षट्षष्ट्यधिकशततमोड< ध्याय: कौरवपक्षके रथियोंका परिचय भीष्म उवाच सुदक्षिणस्तु काम्बोजो रथ एकगुणो मतः । तवार्थसिद्धिमाकाड्क्षन्‌ योत्स्यते समरे परै:,भीष्मने कहा--राजन्‌! काम्बोजदेशके राजा सुदक्षिण एक रथी माने गये हैं। ये तुम्हारे कार्यकी सिद्धि चाहते हुए समरांगणमें शत्रुओंके साथ युद्ध करेंगे

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | sudakṣiṇas tu kāmbojo ratha ekaguṇo mataḥ | tavārthasiddhim ākāṅkṣan yotsyate samare paraiḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : «Ô Roi, Sudakṣiṇa du Kamboja est tenu pour un guerrier de rang “un-ratha”. Désireux d’accomplir ton dessein, il combattra l’ennemi sur le champ de bataille.»

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'sudakṣiṇaḥ', 'definition': 'Sudakshina (proper name), king/leader associated with Kamboja'}, {'term': 'kāmbojaḥ', 'definition': 'Kamboja

• a northwestern region/people'}, {'term': 'rathaḥ (rathī)', 'definition': 'chariot-warrior

• here indicating a graded rank of fighter'}, {'term': 'ekaguṇaḥ', 'definition': 'of one grade/quality

• ‘single-ratha’ rank (a lower tier in the rathī hierarchy)'}, {'term': 'mataḥ', 'definition': 'considered, regarded as'}, {'term': 'tava', 'definition': 'your (addressed to the Kaurava king)'}, {'term': 'artha-siddhiḥ', 'definition': 'accomplishment of the aim

• success of the intended purpose'}, {'term': 'ākāṅkṣan', 'definition': 'desiring, wishing for'}, {'term': 'yotsyate', 'definition': 'will fight (future middle of √yudh)'}, {'term': 'samaraḥ', 'definition': 'battle, armed conflict'}, {'term': 'paraiḥ', 'definition': 'with/against the others

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma (Bhīṣma)
• Sudakshina (Sudakṣiṇa)
• Kamboja (Kāmboja)
• Kaurava king (addressed as 'tava', i.e., Duryodhana in context)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how war narratives frame duty and loyalty through recognized martial ranks: a leader assesses allies by capability (rathī status) and by intention (desire to accomplish the king’s aim), showing the ethical tension between personal loyalty and the larger righteousness of the cause.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma is introducing and evaluating fighters on the Kaurava side. Here he identifies Sudakshina of Kamboja, classifies him as a single-ratha-grade warrior, and states that he will fight the enemy to help secure the Kaurava king’s objectives.