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Shloka 231

Ādi-parva Adhyāya 141: Bhīma–Hiḍimba Confrontation and Protective Discourse

Devanagari script

ततो वैकर्तन: कर्ण: शकुनिश्चापि सौबल: । अनेकैरशभ्युपायैस्ते जिघांसन्ति सम पाण्डवान्‌

Transliteration

tato vaikartanaḥ karṇaḥ śakuniś cāpi saubalaḥ | anekair aśabhyupāyais te jighāṃsanti sma pāṇḍavān ||

Translation

Bấy giờ Karṇa, người được gọi là Vaikartana—con của người đánh xe—và Śakuni thuộc dòng Saubala, đã dùng vô số mưu kế hèn hạ, bất chính, luôn tìm cách sát hại các Pāṇḍava.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

वैindeed, surely

कर्तनःKarna (son of Vikartana)

कर्णःKarna

शकुनिःShakuni

चand

अपिalso

सौबलःthe Saubala (son of Subala), i.e., Shakuni

अनेकैःby many

अशभ्युपायैःby ignoble means

तेthey

जिघांसन्तिdesire to kill / seek to slay

सम्together; completely (preverb)

पाण्डवान्the Pandavas

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Karna (Vaikartana)

Shakuni (Saubala)

Pandavas

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 highlights the ethical decline that occurs when hostility overrides dharma: choosing ‘aśabhya upāya’ (base, improper means) to harm others marks a conscious departure from righteous conduct and foreshadows destructive consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana reports that Karṇa and Śakuni are actively devising multiple ignoble schemes with the intent to kill the Pāṇḍavas, indicating escalating conspiracy rather than open, lawful confrontation.