Shloka 4

Devanagari script

जातपक्षा विदेशस्था विवृद्धा: सर्वशोउ्द्य ते । नोपायसाध्या: कौन्तेया ममैषा मतिरच्युत,अब तो वे विदेशमें हैं, उनके पक्षमें बहुत-से लोग हो गये हैं और सब प्रकारसे उनकी बढ़ती हो गयी है। अतः अब वे कुन्तीकुमार तुम्हारे बताये हुए उपायोंद्वारा वशमें आनेवाले नहीं हैं। पुरुषार्थसे कभी च्युत न होनेवाले वीर! मेरा तो यही विचार है

Transliteration

jātapakṣā videśasthā vivṛddhāḥ sarvaśo 'dya te | nopāyasādhyāḥ kaunteyā mamaiṣā matir acyuta ||

Translation

Karna said: “Today they have grown strong and established their own support; they are living away in foreign lands, and in every way their power has increased. Therefore, those sons of Kunti can no longer be brought under control by the measures you propose. O Acyuta, unfailing in manly effort—this is my considered judgment.”

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'जातपक्षा (jātapakṣāḥ)', 'meaning': 'having gained a ‘party’/support

• established in backing'}, {'term': 'विदेशस्था (videśasthāḥ)', 'meaning': 'dwelling in a foreign country

• living away from one’s own land'}, {'term': 'विवृद्धाः (vivṛddhāḥ)', 'meaning': 'grown, increased, strengthened'}, {'term': 'सर्वशः (sarvaśaḥ)', 'meaning': 'in every way

• altogether'}, {'term': 'अद्य (adya)', 'meaning': 'today

• now'}, {'term': 'नोपायसाध्याः (nopāyasādhyāḥ)', 'meaning': 'not attainable/controllable by means

• not manageable through expedients'}, {'term': 'कौन्तेयाः (kaunteyāḥ)', 'meaning': 'sons of Kunti

• the Pandavas'}, {'term': 'मम एषा मतिः (mama eṣā matiḥ)', 'meaning': 'this is my opinion/judgment'}, {'term': 'अच्युत (acyuta)', 'meaning': '‘the unfailing/unyielding one’

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• कर्ण (Karna)
• कौन्तेयाः (the sons of Kunti / Pandavas)
• अच्युत (Acyuta)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a realist strand of political counsel: once opponents have consolidated alliances and increased their strength, they are no longer easily subdued by ordinary ‘measures’ (upāya). It underscores the ethical tension between diplomacy and the hard limits imposed by shifting power and circumstance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna is advising a figure addressed as ‘Acyuta’ that the sons of Kunti (the Pandavas) have already become established with supporters while living away in foreign regions, and have grown in strength. Hence, Karna argues they cannot now be brought under control through the proposed strategies; he presents this as his firm assessment.