Shloka 16

Śalya’s Consecration as Senāpati and Kṛṣṇa’s Counsel to Yudhiṣṭhira (शल्यस्य सेनापत्यभिषेकः)

Devanagari script

तमप्रतिमकर्माणं रूपेणाप्रतिमं भुवि । पारगं सर्वविद्यानां गुणार्णवमनिन्दितम्‌

Transliteration

tam apratimakarmāṇaṃ rūpeṇāpratimaṃ bhuvi | pāragaṃ sarvavidyānāṃ guṇārṇavam aninditam ||

Translation

సంజయుడు పలికెను—అతడు కర్మలో అపూర్వుడు; భూమిపై రూపంలోనూ అతనికి సాటి లేదు. సమస్త విద్యలకు పారగామి, గుణసముద్రుడు, ఆచరణలో నిర్దోషుడు.

Word by Word

तम्him

अप्रतिमकर्माणम्whose deeds are unparalleled

रूपेणby/with (his) form; in appearance

अप्रतिमम्unparalleled

भुविon earth

पारगम्one who has gone to the far shore; master

सर्वविद्यानाम्of all sciences/knowledges

गुणार्णवम्ocean of virtues

अनिन्दितम्blameless; irreproachable

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

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?

The verse presents an ethical ideal: true greatness is measured by incomparable conduct (karma), mastery grounded in learning (vidyā), and a character so upright that it is beyond reproach (anindita).

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya is describing a particular person in elevated terms, emphasizing unmatched deeds, exceptional presence, comprehensive learning, and blameless virtue—setting a moral and heroic frame within the war-time narration.