Shloka 29

सूर्य–कर्णोपदेशः

Sūrya’s Counsel to Karṇa on Kīrti and the Kuṇḍala

Devanagari script

विस्तीर्ण चैव नः सैन्यं हन्याच्छिद्रेण वै पर: । प्लवोडुपप्रतारश्न नैवात्र मम रोचते,“इसके सिवा नौका आदिसे यात्रा करनेपर हमारी सेना छिट-फुट होकर बहुत दूरतक फैल जायगी। उस दशामें अवसर पाकर शत्रु इसका नाश भी कर सकता है। इसीलिये डोंगी और नाव आदिपर बैठकर पार उतरनेकी बात मुझे ठीक नहीं जँचती है

Transliteration

vistīrṇaṃ caiva naḥ sainyaṃ hanyāc chidreṇa vai paraḥ | plavōḍupa-pratāraś ca naivātra mama rōcate ||

Translation

「さらに、小舟や筏で渡ろうとすれば、我が軍は散り散りとなり、隊列は遠くまで引き延ばされる。そこを敵が隙と見て襲い、滅ぼすこともできよう。ゆえに、舟や筏に乗って渡る策は、ここでは私の心にかなわぬ。」

Word by Word

विस्तीर्णम्spread out, dispersed

चand

एवindeed, just

नःof us/our

सैन्यम्army

हन्यात्might kill/destroy

छिद्रेणby/through a gap, by an opening (opportunity)

वैindeed, surely

परःthe other (enemy)

प्लवon a raft/float

उडुपon a boat

प्रतारश्नon a ferry/crossing-vessel (reading uncertain)

नnot

एवat all/indeed

अत्रhere, in this matter

ममmy

रोचतेis pleasing/appeals

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mārkaṇḍeya

our army (sainyam)

enemy (paraḥ)

rafts (plava)

boats (uḍupa)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Sound leadership avoids creating avoidable vulnerabilities: dispersing one’s forces during a risky crossing invites the enemy to exploit gaps (chidra). Prudence and cohesion are presented as ethical duties in protecting one’s people.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya evaluates a proposed river-crossing by small craft and rejects it, warning that the army would become strung out and fragmented, giving the enemy a chance to attack and destroy them.