Shloka 18
Adhyāya 203 — Tilottamā-sṛṣṭiḥ
Creation and Commissioning of Tilottamā
स हीन: करणै: सर्वैरुच्छवासपरमो नृप: । अमात्यसंस्थ: सर्वेषु कार्येष्वेवाभवत् तदा,उनकी कोई भी इन्द्रिय कार्य करनेमें समर्थ नहीं थी, वे (श्वासके रोगसे पीड़ित हो) एक स्थानपर पड़े-पड़े लंबी साँसें खींचा करते थे; अतः प्रत्येक कार्यमें उन्हें मनन््त्रीके ही अधीन रहना पड़ता था
sa hīnaḥ karaṇaiḥ sarvair ucchvāsa-paramo nṛpaḥ | amātya-saṃsthaḥ sarveṣu kāryeṣv evābhavat tadā ||
Karna disse: “Aquele rei, privado do uso de todas as suas faculdades, jazia dominado por uma respiração penosa. Por isso, então, em todos os assuntos do Estado, foi compelido a depender de seus ministros.”
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical and practical reality that a ruler’s capacity is not absolute: when personal strength and faculties fail, governance shifts to advisers. It implicitly stresses the importance of competent, trustworthy ministers and the vulnerability of power to bodily decline.
Karna describes a king who has become physically incapacitated—unable to use his faculties and struggling for breath—so that all affairs of the realm effectively fall under ministerial control.