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Shloka 16

उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय १४० (कृष्णेन कर्णं प्रति पाण्डवबल-वैशिष्ट्यप्रदर्शनम्) / Udyoga Parva, Chapter 140

Krishna’s appraisal of Pandava advantage and war portents

तस्माद्‌ रणे द्वैरथे मां प्रत्युद्यातारमच्युत । वृतवान्‌ परमं कृष्ण प्रतीपं सव्यसाचिन:,अतः अच्युत! मुझे द्वैरथ युद्धमें सव्यसाची अर्जुनके विरुद्ध लोहा लेने तथा उनका सामना करनेके लिये उसने चुन लिया है

tasmād raṇe dvairathe māṃ pratyudyātāram acyuta | vṛtavān paramaṃ kṛṣṇa pratīpaṃ savyasācinaḥ ||

ゆえに、アチュタよ、戦場の戦車同士の一騎討ちにおいて、彼はこの私を――至高のクリシュナよ――サヴィヤサーチン(アルジュナ)に対する直の対抗者として、出陣し正面から立ちはだかる者に選び取ったのだ。この言葉は、アルジュナに釣り合う相手を意図して選定したことを示し、迫り来る戦いを、同族相争う戦の道義的緊張の中での技量と決意の試練として描き出している。

तस्मात्therefore/from that
तस्मात्:
Apadana
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
Formmasculine/neuter, ablative, singular
रणेin battle
रणे:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootरण
Formneuter, locative, singular
द्वैरथेin chariot-duel (two-chariot combat)
द्वैरथे:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootद्वैरथ
Formneuter, locative, singular
माम्me
माम्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootअस्मद्
Formcommon, accusative, singular
प्रत्युद्यातारम्one who comes forth to meet/oppose (challenger)
प्रत्युद्यातारम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootप्रति-उद्-या (धातु: या)
Formmasculine, accusative, singular
अच्युतO Acyuta (Krishna)
अच्युत:
Sambodhana
TypeNoun
Rootअच्युत
Formmasculine, vocative, singular
वृतवान्has chosen
वृतवान्:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootवृ (धातु: वृञ्/वृ— to choose) + क्तवतुँ
Formmasculine, nominative, singular
परम्the foremost/ultimate
परम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootपर
Formneuter, accusative, singular
कृष्णO Krishna
कृष्ण:
Sambodhana
TypeNoun
Rootकृष्ण
Formmasculine, vocative, singular
प्रतीपम्as an opponent/against
प्रतीपम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootप्रतीप
Formmasculine, accusative, singular
सव्यसाचिनःof Savyasācin (Arjuna)
सव्यसाचिनः:
Sambandha
TypeNoun
Rootसव्यसाचिन्
Formmasculine, genitive, singular

कर्ण उवाच

K
Karna
K
Krishna (Acyuta)
A
Arjuna (Savyasacin)

Educational Q&A

The verse highlights the kṣatriya ethos of meeting a chosen opponent head-on in fair, face-to-face combat (dvairatha), while also revealing the ethical strain of war: personal valor and duty are asserted even when the larger conflict is morally fraught.

Karna addresses Kṛṣṇa (Acyuta), stating that he has been selected to ride out and confront Arjuna (Savyasācin) in a chariot duel—positioning Karna as Arjuna’s principal battlefield counter and foreshadowing their climactic rivalry.