Shloka 15
Devanagari script
युगपन्न तु ते शक्या: कर्तु सर्वे पुर:सरा: । एक एव तु कर्तव्यो यस्मिन् वैशेषिका गुणा:
Transliteration
yugapanna tu te śakyāḥ kartuṁ sarve puraḥsarāḥ | eka eva tu kartavyo yasmin vaiśeṣikā guṇāḥ ||
Translation
Karna said: “All of those leaders cannot be appointed at once. Rather, one alone should be chosen—the one in whom the distinguishing excellences are found.”
Word by Word
युगपत्simultaneously
युगपत्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयुगपत्
FormAvyaya (indeclinable adverb)
नnot
न:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन
FormAvyaya (negation)
तुbut/indeed
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
FormAvyaya (particle)
तेfor you/your
ते:
Sampradana
TypePronoun
Rootयुष्मद्
FormMasculine/Feminine/Neuter, Genitive singular (enclitic)
शक्याःpossible/able (to be done)
शक्याः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootशक्य
FormMasculine, Nominative plural
कर्तुम्to do
कर्तुम्:
TypeVerb
Rootकृ
FormTumun (infinitive): 'to do/make'
सर्वेall
सर्वे:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootसर्व
FormMasculine, Nominative plural
पुरःसराःleaders/foremost ones
पुरःसराः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootपुरःसर
FormMasculine, Nominative plural
एकःone
एकः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootएक
FormMasculine, Nominative singular
एवonly/indeed
एव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव
FormAvyaya (emphasis)
तुbut/indeed
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
FormAvyaya (particle)
कर्तव्यःto be done/should be made (to be chosen)
कर्तव्यः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootकर्तव्य
FormMasculine, Nominative singular
यस्मिन्in whom/in which
यस्मिन्:
Adhikarana
TypePronoun
Rootयद्
FormMasculine/Neuter, Locative singular
वैशेषिकाःdistinctive/special
वैशेषिकाः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootवैशेषिक
FormMasculine, Nominative plural
गुणाःqualities/virtues
गुणाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootगुण
FormMasculine, Nominative plural
Speaker
कर्ण उवाच
Characters & Entities
K
KarnaL
leaders (puraḥsarāḥ)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Cross References
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
Effective leadership requires clear selection: instead of distributing authority among many at once, choose a single person distinguished by exceptional qualities (guṇas).
Karna offers counsel in a wartime context, arguing that multiple foremost men should not be made leaders simultaneously; one commander should be appointed based on outstanding merits.