Shloka 20

Adhyāya 203 — Tilottamā-sṛṣṭiḥ

Creation and Commissioning of Tilottamā

Devanagari script

स राज्ञ उपभोग्यानि स्त्रियो रत्नधनानि च । आददे सर्वशो मूढ ऐश्वर्य च स्वयं तदा,वह मूढ मन्त्री राजाके उपभोगमें आनेयोग्य स्त्री, रत्न, धन तथा ऐश्वर्यको भी स्वयं ही भोगता था

Transliteration

sa rājña upabhogyāni striyo ratna-dhanāni ca | ādade sarvaśo mūḍha aiśvaryaṃ ca svayaṃ tadā ||

Translation

Karna nói: “Kẻ mê muội ấy khi đó đã chiếm lấy cho mình, bằng mọi cách, cả những thứ vốn dành cho nhà vua hưởng dụng—đàn bà, châu báu, của cải và đặc quyền vương quyền—nuốt trọn chủ quyền như thể là của hắn.”

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राज्ञः: of the king
• राज्ञः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• उपभोग्यानि: enjoyable / meant for enjoyment
• उपभोग्यानि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उपभोग्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• स्त्रियः: women
• स्त्रियः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• रत्नधनानि: gems and wealth
• रत्नधनानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्नधन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

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

• आददे: took / seized
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + दा
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सर्वशः: entirely / in every way
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वशस्

• मूढः: deluded / foolish
• मूढः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूढ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ऐश्वर्यम्: sovereignty / power / prosperity
• ऐश्वर्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐश्वर्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• स्वयम्: himself
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम्

• तदा: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Karna
• king (rājā)
• women (striyaḥ)
• jewels (ratna)
• wealth (dhana)
• sovereignty/royal power (aiśvarya)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse condemns adharma in governance: when a minister or subordinate appropriates what belongs to the king and the realm—women, wealth, and authority—he becomes ‘mūḍha’, blinded by greed, violating trust and the ethical order that sustains kingship.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna is describing a situation where a foolish person (implicitly a corrupt minister/agent) usurps the king’s enjoyments and even the symbols of sovereignty, taking them for himself and behaving as though he were the rightful ruler.