Mahabharata 1.201.19 — Adi Parva, Adhyaya 201, Shloka 19

Sundopasundayoḥ Tapas–Varadāna–Prasaṅgaḥ

Sunda and Upasunda: Austerities and the Boon

Devanagari script

ते बलेन वयं राजन्‌ महता चतुरद्धिणा । प्रमथ्य ट्रुपदं शीघ्रमानयामेह पाण्डवान्‌,राजन्‌! हमलोग विशाल चतुरंगिणी सेनाके द्वारा राजा ट्रपदको कुचलकर शीघ्र ही यहाँ पाण्डवोंको कैद कर लायें

Transliteration

te balena vayaṃ rājan mahātā catur-aṅgiṇā | pramathya drupadaṃ śīghram ānayāma iha pāṇḍavān, rājan ||

Translation

Karna berkata: “Wahai Raja, dengan kekuatan kita dan bala tentera besar yang lengkap empat angkatan, kita akan segera menghancurkan Raja Drupada dan membawa para Pandava ke mari sebagai tawanan.”

Word by Word

• ते: they (those men)
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• बलेन: by force/strength
• बलेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Nominative, Plural

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• महता: by great (means)
• महता: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• चतुरङ्गिणा: by a fourfold-armed army (chariots, elephants, cavalry, infantry)
• चतुरङ्गिणा: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुरङ्गिन्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• प्रमथ्य: having crushed/overpowered
• प्रमथ्य: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-मथ्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral in gerund), —, —, —

• द्रुपदम्: Drupada
• द्रुपदम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रुपद
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• शीघ्रम्: quickly
• शीघ्रम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शीघ्र

• आनयाम: we bring
• आनयाम: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-नी
• Form: Present, Indicative, Parasmaipada, First, Plural

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह

• पाण्डवान्: the Pandavas
• पाण्डवान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Karna
• Duryodhana (implied by address 'rājan')
• Drupada
• Pāṇḍavas
• caturaṅgiṇī senā (fourfold army)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how reliance on sheer force and humiliation of opponents can drive political decisions; it implicitly invites reflection on dharma—whether ends like dominance and revenge justify violent means such as crushing a king and seizing others as captives.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna proposes to the king (Duryodhana) a rapid military action: using a large fourfold army to subdue Drupada and then bring the Pāṇḍavas back as prisoners, indicating an escalation toward coercive conflict.