Shloka 20

Devanagari script

न हि साम्ना न दानेन न भेदेन च पाण्डवा: । शकक्‍्या: साधयितुं तस्माद्‌ विक्रमेणैव ताज्जहि,न सामसे, न दानसे और न भेदकी नीतिसे पाण्डवोंको वशमें किया जा सकता है। अतः उन्हें पराक्रमसे ही नष्ट करो

Transliteration

na hi sāmnā na dānena na bhedena ca pāṇḍavāḥ | śakyāḥ sādhayituṃ tasmād vikrameṇaiva tān jahi ||

Translation

Wika ni Karna: “Hindi mapapasunod ang mga Pandava—hindi sa pakikipagkasundo, hindi sa pagbibigay, at hindi rin sa paghahasik ng pagkakawatak-watak. Kaya lipulin sila sa pamamagitan lamang ng kagitingan.”

Word by Word

नnot

हिindeed/for

साम्नाby conciliation

नnor

दानेनby gifts/bribery

नnor

भेदेनby dissension/division

चand

पाण्डवाःthe Pandavas

शक्याःare possible (to be done)/can be

साधयितुम्to accomplish/bring under control

तस्मात्therefore/from that

विक्रमेणby valor/force

एवonly/indeed

तान्them

जहिkill/destroy

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

Karna

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?

The verse contrasts the traditional diplomatic strategies—conciliation (sāma), gifts (dāna), and division (bheda)—with a final resort: force (vikrama/daṇḍa). Karna’s counsel asserts that the Pāṇḍavas will not yield to negotiation or manipulation, so he advocates a valor-based, violent solution, highlighting the ethical tension between diplomacy and aggression.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna is giving strategic counsel regarding how to deal with the Pāṇḍavas. He dismisses non-violent political methods as ineffective and urges their destruction through martial prowess, reflecting an escalation toward open conflict.