Shloka 23

कर्णपरर्वणि त्रयोचत्वारिंशदध्यायः (Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 43) — Kṛṣṇa’s Battlefield Assessment and the Reversal Around Bhīma

Devanagari script

ईदृशा ब्राह्मणेनोक्ता वाहीका मोघचारिण:

Transliteration

īdṛśā brāhmaṇenoktā vāhīkā moghacāriṇaḥ

Translation

Karna said: “Such are the Vāhīkas, as described by that brāhmaṇa—people whose conduct is fruitless and misguided.” In context, the line functions as a moral denunciation: a community is portrayed as having strayed from disciplined, meaningful action, and Karna uses the brāhmaṇa’s characterization to sharpen his censure.

Word by Word

• ईदृशा: by such (a one), by one like this
• ईदृशा: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईदृश
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• ब्राह्मणेन: by a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• उक्ता: spoken/said (by)
• उक्ता: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: kta (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• वाहीकाः: the Vāhīkas (people of Vāhīka region)
• वाहीकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाहीक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• मोघचारिणः: those who move/act in vain; futile-goers
• मोघचारिणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मोघचारिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Karna
• Brāhmaṇa
• Vāhīkas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the ethical idea that actions and ways of life should be purposeful and aligned with disciplined conduct; ‘mogha-cāriṇaḥ’ condemns behavior that is empty, unproductive, or morally misdirected.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna is speaking and cites (or echoes) a brāhmaṇa’s description to characterize the Vāhīkas negatively, using that portrayal as a rhetorical weapon within the broader tensions and polemics of the war-time discourse.