Shloka 21

Karna’s Martial Boast and Challenge to Bībhatsu

Arjuna

Devanagari script

सुफलल्रित्रकोशश्व हेमत्सरुरनुत्तम: । निस्त्रिंश: कौरवस्यैष धर्मराजस्य धीमत:

Transliteration

suphalaḥ citrakośaś ca hema-tsarur anuttamaḥ | nistriṁśaḥ kauravasyaiṣa dharmarājasya dhīmataḥ ||

Translation

อุตตรากล่าวว่า “นี่คือดาบนิสตฤมศะอันงดงาม มีฝักประณีตยอดเยี่ยม หาที่เปรียบมิได้ พร้อมด้ามทองคำ เป็นของธรรมราชาผู้ทรงปัญญาแห่งวงศ์กุรุ”

Word by Word

सुफलल्रित्रकोशश्वःone whose horse has good fruit/benefit, is charming, and has three sheaths (i.e., a richly equipped horse)

हेमत्सरुःhaving a golden hilt/handle

अनुत्तमःunsurpassed, excellent

निस्त्रिंशःa sword

कौरवस्यof the Kaurava

एषःthis

धर्मराजस्यof Dharmaraja (Yudhishthira)

धीमतःof the wise one

Speaker

उत्तर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Uttara

Nistriṁśa (sword)

Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira)

Kaurava/Kuru lineage

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?

Even in a martial setting, the verse frames power through legitimacy and virtue: the weapon is identified not merely by its splendor but by its rightful owner—Dharmarāja—implying that authority and force are ethically grounded in dharma and wise governance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Uttara is identifying a particular sword by describing its distinctive features (fine blade, ornate scabbard, golden hilt) and then naming its owner as Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira), situating the weapon within the Pandavas’ concealed presence and the unfolding preparations for conflict in Virāṭa’s court.