Shloka 16

भीष्मस्य दुर्योधनं प्रति कुलहितोपदेशः | Bhīṣma’s Counsel to Duryodhana on Dynastic Welfare

Devanagari script

कृतार्था: सुभृता ये लक व वस्थिता कृत्यकाले हाुपस्थिते । अनवेक्ष्य कृतं पापा न्त्यनवस्थिता:

Transliteration

kṛtārthāḥ subhṛtā ye lakṣaṇavāsthitā kṛtyakāle hy upasthite | anavekṣya kṛtaṃ pāpā nty anavasthitāḥ ||

Translation

ଯେମାନେ କୃତାର୍ଥ ଓ ସୁପାଳିତ, କର୍ତ୍ତବ୍ୟର ସମୟ ଆସିଲେ ମଧ୍ୟ ନୀତିରେ ସ୍ଥିର ରହନ୍ତି, ସେମାନେ କଦାପି ଡଗମଗାନ୍ତି ନାହିଁ। କିନ୍ତୁ ପାପୀ ଓ ଅସ୍ଥିରଚିତ୍ତ ଲୋକେ ପୂର୍ବକୃତ ଉପକାର ଓ ଧର୍ମକୁ ନ ଦେଖି ହଠକାରୀ ହୋଇ ପଡନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

कृतार्थाःsuccessful; having achieved the purpose

सुभृताःwell-supported; well-maintained

येwho; those who

लोकवत्like the world; in the manner of people

अवस्थिताःstanding firm; established

कृत्यकालेat the time of duty/action

अनुपस्थितेwhen (it is) not present; when it has not arrived

अनवेक्ष्यwithout considering; not looking to

कृतम्the deed; what has been done

पापाःsinful; wicked

अन्तिare (exist)

अनवस्थिताःunsteady; not established

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

Karna

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?

Steadiness and discernment are marks of the accomplished when decisive duty arrives; moral failure is linked with instability and heedless action that ignores what is right or already established.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna is speaking in the Udyoga Parva context of impending war and decision-making, contrasting the firm resolve of capable, properly grounded persons with the rash, unstable conduct of the morally compromised.