Shloka 231

Devanagari script

तदादाय च लुब्धस्य लोभाल्लोभोप्यवर्धत । तथा हि सर्वमादाय राज्यमस्य जिहीषति

Transliteration

tadādāya ca lubdhasya lobhāl lobho 'py avardhata | tathā hi sarvam ādāya rājyam asya jihīṣati ||

Translation

Nang makuha niya iyon, lalo pang lumaki ang pagnanasa ng sakim dahil sa sariling kasakiman; sapagkat matapos niyang samsamin ang lahat, ngayo’y ninanais pa niyang angkinin maging ang kaharian ng taong iyon.

Word by Word

• तत्: that (it)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आदाय: having taken
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + दा
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral for gerund)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• लुब्धस्य: of the greedy one
• लुब्धस्य: Sampradana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लुब्ध
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• लोभात्: from greed
• लोभात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोभ
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• लोभः: greed
• लोभः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोभ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अपि: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• अवर्धत: increased/grew
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृध्
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), Parasmaipada, Third, Singular

• तथा: thus/so
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

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

• सर्वम्: all (everything)
• सर्वम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आदाय: having taken
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + दा
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral for gerund)

• राज्यम्: kingdom
• राज्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अस्य: of him/of this (person)
• अस्य: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• जिहीषति: wishes to take away/seize
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ
• Form: लट् (Present), Parasmaipada, Third, Singular, Desiderative (सन्नन्त) of √हृ: जिहीर्षति/जिहीषति

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Greed is self-amplifying: once a person yields to covetousness, satisfaction recedes and the desire expands from taking something to taking everything, even another’s rightful sovereignty. The ethical warning is against allowing lobha to govern decisions, especially in matters of power and property.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna characterizes an opponent (or a party in the dispute) as already greedy and now growing greedier: after taking what could be taken, he is portrayed as aiming to seize the remaining kingdom itself. The line functions as a moral-political critique of escalating appropriation.