Shloka 1

Sundopasundayoḥ Tapas–Varadāna–Prasaṅgaḥ

Sunda and Upasunda: Austerities and the Boon

Devanagari script

ऑपन--माजल छा जि: एकाधिकंद्विशततमो<्ध्याय: पाण्डवोंको पराक्रमसे दबानेके लिये कर्णकी सम्मति कर्ण उवाच दुर्योधन तव प्रज्ञा न सम्यगिति मे मति: । 82 20 ते शक्‍्या: पाण्डवा: कुरुवर्धन,कहा--दुर्योधन! मेरे विचारसे तुम्हारी यह सलाह ठीक नहीं है। कुरुवर्धन! ऐसे किसी भी उपायसे पाण्डवोंको वशमें नहीं किया जा सकता

Transliteration

karṇa uvāca | duryodhana tava prajñā na samyag iti me matiḥ | te śakyāḥ pāṇḍavāḥ kuru-vardhana |

Translation

Karna said: “Duryodhana, in my judgment your counsel is not sound. O increaser of the Kurus, the Pandavas cannot be brought under control by such means.”

Word by Word

• {'karṇa uvāca': 'Karna said', 'duryodhana': 'Duryodhana (eldest Kaurava prince)', 'tava': 'your', 'prajñā': 'judgment, practical wisdom, counsel', 'na': 'not', 'samyak': 'rightly, properly, correctly', 'iti': 'thus

• marking quoted thought/speech', 'me': 'my', 'matiḥ': 'opinion, view, considered judgment', 'te': 'those

• by that (means)', 'śakyāḥ': 'possible

• capable of being done/achieved', 'pāṇḍavāḥ': 'the Pandavas (sons of Pandu)', 'kuru-vardhana': 'O enhancer of the Kuru line (epithet addressing Duryodhana)'}

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Karṇa
• Duryodhana
• Pāṇḍavāḥ
• Kuru (dynasty)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Karna frames a moral-political critique: counsel must be 'samyak' (proper and well-judged), and overconfidence in coercive schemes against the Pandavas is misguided. The verse highlights the ethical weight of prudent judgment and the limits of force when confronting capable, dharma-backed opponents.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Adi Parva, Karna responds to Duryodhana’s proposed strategy to suppress the Pandavas. He rejects the plan as unsound and asserts that the Pandavas cannot be brought under control by such measures, signaling both their prowess and the futility of certain political maneuvers.