Shloka 1

Kṛpa’s Archery Display; Śikhaṇḍin Checked; Suketu Slain; Dhṛṣṭadyumna–Kṛtavarmā Clash (कृपशौर्य–पार्षतहार्दिक्ययुद्धम्)

Devanagari script

अपन का बा | अत-#-#कत एकोनचत्वारिशोड ध्याय: शल्यका कर्णके प्रति अतन्त आक्षेपपूर्ण वचन कहना शल्य उवाच मा सूतपुत्र दानेन सौवर्ण हस्तिषड्गवम्‌ । प्रयच्छ पुरुषायाद्य द्रक्ष्यसि त्वं धनंजयम्‌

Transliteration

Śalya uvāca — mā sūtaputra dānena sauvarṇaṃ hastiṣaḍgavam | prayaccha puruṣāyādya drakṣyasi tvaṃ dhanañjayam ||

Translation

Shalya berkata: “Wahai anak sais, janganlah engkau, sebagai hadiah, menyerahkan pada hari ini kepada sesiapa pun kereta perang emas itu, yang ditarik oleh enam ekor lembu jantan yang gemuk dan gagah, perkasa laksana gajah. Kerana pada hari ini engkau pasti akan melihat Dhananjaya (Arjuna).”

Word by Word

• {'śalya uvāca': 'Shalya said', 'mā': 'do not', 'sūtaputra': 'son of a sūta (charioteer/bard)

• epithet for Karna', 'dānena': 'by giving

• through a gift', 'sauvarṇam': 'golden

• made of gold', 'hastiṣaḍgavam': 'drawn by six bulls, (strong) like an elephant

• a compound indicating great power/size', 'prayaccha': 'give, bestow, hand over', 'puruṣāya': 'to a man

• to some person', 'ādya': 'today', 'drakṣyasi': 'you will see', 'tvam': 'you', 'dhanañjayam': 'Dhanañjaya, i.e., Arjuna'}

Speaker

शल्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śalya
• Karna (as Sūtaputra)
• Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)
• golden chariot
• six bulls

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even a celebrated virtue like generosity must be governed by discernment and duty: on the brink of battle, reckless gifting that diminishes one’s readiness becomes ethically questionable within kṣatriya-dharma. Shalya frames this as a warning while also using it to provoke and destabilize Karna.

What is happening in the narrative?

Shalya addresses Karna with a cutting epithet (“sūtaputra”) and urges him not to give away a powerful golden chariot. He emphasizes that Karna will face Arjuna that very day, implying that Karna must not weaken himself before the imminent confrontation.