Shloka 136

Devanagari script

सर्वशस्त्रभृतां श्रेष्ठ सर्वशास्त्रार्थपारगम्‌ । “महाबाहो! तुम रणक्षेत्रमें वैकर्तन कर्णका अपमान न करो। वह सम्पूर्ण शस्त्रधारियोंमें श्रेष्ठ तथा सम्पूर्ण शास्त्रोंके अर्थका पारंगत विद्वान्‌ है

Transliteration

sarvaśastrabhṛtāṃ śreṣṭha sarvaśāstrārthapāragam | mahābāho! tvaṃ raṇakṣetre vaikartana-karṇakā apamānaṃ mā kṛthāḥ | sa sampūrṇa-śastradhāriṇāṃ śreṣṭhaḥ tathā sampūrṇa-śāstrāṇām arthasya pāraṃgataḥ vidvān asti |

Translation

ਸੰਜਯ ਨੇ ਆਖਿਆ— “ਮਹਾਬਾਹੋ! ਰਣਭੂਮੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਵੈਕਰਤਨ ਕਰਨ ਨੂੰ ਅਪਮਾਨਿਤ ਨਾ ਕਰ। ਉਹ ਸਭ ਸ਼ਸਤ੍ਰਧਾਰੀਆਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਸ਼੍ਰੇਸ਼ਠ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਸਭ ਸ਼ਾਸਤਰਾਂ ਦੇ ਅਰਥਾਂ ਦਾ ਪਾਰੰਗਤ ਵਿਦਵਾਨ ਹੈ।”

Word by Word

सर्वof all

शस्त्रweapon

भृताम्of the bearers (those who bear)

श्रेष्ठbest, foremost

सर्वof all

शास्त्रof treatises/teachings

अर्थof meanings

पारगम्one who has gone to the far shore; fully versed

महाबाहोO mighty-armed one

त्वम्you

रणof battle

क्षेत्रेin the field

वैकर्तनम्Vaikartana (Karna)

कर्णम्Karna

अपमानम्insult, dishonour

माdo not

करोःdo (you)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Karṇa (Vaikartana)

raṇakṣetra (battlefield)

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?

Even amid war, ethical restraint in speech matters: a worthy opponent should not be demeaned. True kṣatriya conduct honors valor and learning, recognizing excellence rather than indulging in contempt.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports a warning/admonition addressed to a mighty warrior: in the heat of battle, he should not insult Karṇa (Vaikartana). Karṇa is described as preeminent among weapon-bearers and as a master of the meanings of the śāstras.