Shloka 23

Brahmaṇānāṃ Yācanā—Tīrtha-yātrā-prastāvaḥ

The Brahmanas’ Petition and the Proposal of Pilgrimage

Devanagari script

न स पार्थस्य संग्रामे कलामहति षोडशीम्‌ | यच्चापि ते भयं कर्णान्मनसिस्थमरिंदम

Transliteration

na sa pārthasya saṅgrāme kalāmahati ṣoḍaśīm | yac cāpi te bhayaṃ karṇān manasi-stham ariṃdama ||

Translation

ಸಮರದಲ್ಲಿ ಅವನು ಪಾರ್ಥನ ಮಹತ್ತ್ವದ ಹದಿನಾರನೇ ಭಾಗಕ್ಕೂ ಸಮನಲ್ಲ. ಹಾಗೆಯೇ, ಹೇ ಅರಿಂದಮನೇ! ಕರ್ಣನ ಕುರಿತು ನಿನ್ನ ಮನಸ್ಸಿನಲ್ಲಿ ನೆಲೆಸಿರುವ ಭಯವನ್ನು ತ್ಯಜಿಸು.

Word by Word

nanot

saḥhe

pārthasyaof Pārtha (Arjuna)

saṅgrāmein battle

kalāma fraction/part (a sixteenth part)

ahatīnot reaching, not attaining

ṣoḍaśīmthe sixteenth part (one-sixteenth)

yatwhich/that (what)

caand

apialso/even

teof you/your

bhayamfear

karṇātfrom Karṇa

manasi-sthamsituated in the mind, mental

ariṃ-damaO subduer of foes

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Pārtha (Arjuna)

Karṇa

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse urges freedom from paralyzing fear by grounding one’s judgment in a realistic appraisal of strength and merit: do not magnify an opponent in the mind beyond what is warranted.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reassures his listener that the person being discussed is vastly inferior to Arjuna in battle—“not even a sixteenth part”—and counsels that the lingering fear of Karṇa should be dismissed.