Shloka 63

कर्णेन युधिष्ठिरानीकविदारणम् / Karṇa’s Breach of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Battle-Line

Devanagari script

तानब्रवीत्‌ पुनर्देवो मत्त: श्रेष्ठठरो हि यः । त॑ सारथिं कुरुध्व॑ं मे स्वयं संचिन्त्य मा चिरम्‌

Transliteration

tān abravīt punar devo mattaḥ śreṣṭhataraḥ hi yaḥ | taṃ sārathiṃ kurudhvaṃ me svayaṃ saṃcintya mā ca ciram ||

Translation

แล้วมหาเทพตรัสอีกว่า “พวกเจ้าจงใคร่ครวญด้วยตนเอง แล้วเลือกผู้ที่ประเสริฐยิ่งกว่าเรา ให้เป็นสารถีของเรา อย่าได้ชักช้า”

Word by Word

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अब्रवीत्: said/spoke
• अब्रवीत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पुनः: again
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

• देवः: the god (Mahadeva)
• देवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मतः: than me/from me
• मतः: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अहम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• श्रेष्ठतरः: superior (even more excellent)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठतर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, Comparative

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• यः: who/which
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तं: him
• तं: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सारथिं: charioteer
• सारथिं: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सारथि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कुरुध्वम्: make (him)/appoint
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Imperative (Lot), 2nd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• मे: for me/of me
• मे: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अहम्
• Form: Genitive/Dative, Singular

• स्वयम्: yourself
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम्

• संचिन्त्य: having considered
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + चिन्त्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund/Lyap), Parasmaipada (usage)

• मा: do not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा
• Form: Prohibitive particle

• चिरम्: for long/long (delay)
• Type: Adverb (from adjective)
• Root: चिर

Speaker

दुर्योधन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Duryodhana
• sārathi (charioteer)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a mindset driven by competitive superiority and haste: the demand for someone “even greater than me” and the insistence on no delay. Ethically, it can be read as a warning about pride and expediency—how the pursuit of power in war can eclipse patience, humility, and dharmic discernment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Duryodhana (as the stated speaker) issues an urgent instruction to appoint a charioteer: they must deliberate and select someone surpassing the speaker in excellence, and do so quickly. The moment reflects wartime pressure and the desire to secure the strongest possible support.