Mahabharata 1.201.13 — Adi Parva, Adhyaya 201, Shloka 13
Sundopasundayoḥ Tapas–Varadāna–Prasaṅgaḥ
Sunda and Upasunda: Austerities and the Boon
वाहनानि प्रभूतानि मित्राणि च कुलानि च । यावन्न तेषां गान्धारे तावद् विक्रम पार्थिव
vāhanāni prabhūtāni mitrāṇi ca kulāni ca | yāvan na teṣāṃ gāndhāre tāvad vikrama pārthiva, rājan! gāndhārīnandana! |
کرن نے کہا—اے گاندھاری کے فرزند، اے راجا! جب تک ان کے پاس بہت سے رتھ و سواری، حلیف اور مددگار خاندان جمع نہیں ہو جاتے، تب تک ان کے خلاف اپنا پرَاکرم دکھاؤ۔
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a pragmatic, power-centered ethic: act decisively before an opponent gains resources, alliances, and social backing. It implicitly raises a dharmic tension—whether exploiting another’s weakness for advantage is righteous or merely expedient.
Karna urges Duryodhana (addressed as ‘son of Gandhārī’) to move against the Pāṇḍavas while they still lack strong material support (vehicles/logistics), allies, and clan-based backing—an argument for preemptive action in a developing rivalry.
Ask anything about this verse
Curious about the meaning, context, or a word? Ask, and continue the conversation in the Vedapath app.
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Mahabharata in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.