Shloka 21

Udyoga Parva, Adhyaya 104: Nārada on Suhṛt and Nirbandha; the Viśvāmitra–Gālava Exemplum Begins

Devanagari script

इमं तावन्ममैकं त्वं बाहुं सवब्येतरं वह । यद्येनं धारयस्येक॑ सफलं ते विकत्थितम्‌

Transliteration

imaṃ tāvan mamaikaṃ tvaṃ bāhuṃ savyetaraṃ vaha | yady enaṃ dhārayasy ekaṃ saphalaṃ te vikatthitam ||

Translation

इमं तावन्ममैकं त्वं बाहुं सव्येतरं वह । यद्येनं धारयस्येकं सफलं ते विकत्थितम् ॥

Word by Word

• इमम्: this
• इमम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तावत्: for now / first
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत्

• मम: of me / my
• मम: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• एकम्: one / single
• एकम्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Nominative, Singular

• बाहुम्: arm
• बाहुम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाहु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सव्येतरम्: other than the left (i.e., right)
• सव्येतरम्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सव्य-इतर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वह: carry / bear
• Type: Verb
• Root: वह्
• Form: Imperative, 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• यदि: if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि

• एनम्: this (him/it)
• एनम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद् (एन्-प्रयोगः)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• धारयसि: you hold / bear
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ
• Form: Present, 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• एकम्: alone / just one
• एकम्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सफलम्: successful / fruitful
• सफलम्: Karmadharaya
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-फल
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• विकत्थितम्: boasting / self-praise
• विकत्थितम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि + कथ् (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

कण्व उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Kaṇva
• right arm (savyetara bāhu)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Boasting is validated only by demonstrated capacity; ethical speech requires restraint, and claims of prowess should be tested by real responsibility rather than mere self-praise.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kaṇva challenges someone who has been boasting, proposing a concrete test: first bear the weight of his right arm; if the person can manage even that, their earlier bragging can be considered justified.