Shloka 10

Devanagari script

न बलं॑ बलिनां मध्ये बलं भवति कौरव । बलवन्तो हि ते सर्वे पाण्डवा देवविक्रमा:

Transliteration

na balaṁ balināṁ madhye balaṁ bhavati kaurava | balavanto hi te sarve pāṇḍavā devavikramāḥ ||

Translation

கௌரவனே! வலிமைமிக்கவர்களிடையே வெறும் ‘வலிமை’யே வலிமை எனக் கருதப்படாது; ஏனெனில் அந்தப் பாண்டவர்கள் அனைவரும் தேவர்களைப் போன்ற வீரத்துடன் வலிமைமிக்கவர்கள்.

Word by Word

नnot

बलम्strength, power

बलिनाम्of the strong (men)

मध्येin the midst, among

बलम्strength

भवतिis, becomes

कौरवO Kaurava

बलवन्तःstrong, powerful

हिindeed, for

तेthey

सर्वेall

पाण्डवाःthe Pandavas

देवविक्रमाःof godlike valor

Speaker

कण्व उवाच

Characters & Entities

क

कण्व (Kaṇva)

क

कौरव (Kaurava—addressed person, traditionally Duryodhana)

प

पाण्डव (Pāṇḍavas)

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?

Strength is relative and must be judged realistically; pride in one’s own power is folly when facing genuinely superior warriors. The verse urges sober assessment and humility in political and military decisions.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Kaṇva addresses a Kaurava leader (commonly understood as Duryodhana), warning him not to overestimate Kaurava power, since the Pāṇḍavas are all formidable, with godlike prowess.