Shloka 12

कर्णसेनापत्यारम्भः — Karṇa’s Appointment and the Report to Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Chapter 1

Devanagari script

गोभिरसश्रैश्व निष्कैश्न वासोभिक्ष महाधनै: । वन्द्यमाना जयाशीर्भि: सूतमागधवन्दिभि:

Transliteration

gobhir asraiś ca niṣkaiś ca vāsobhiś ca mahādhanaiḥ | vandyamānā jayāśīrbhiḥ sūtamāgadhavandibhiḥ ||

Translation

Họ được tôn vinh bằng lễ vật—bò, y phục, đồ trang sức vàng và của cải dồi dào—và được các sūta, những người ca tụng xứ Magadha cùng các kẻ xướng tụng nơi triều đình chúc phúc bằng lời cầu thắng trận.

Word by Word

• गोभिः: with cows
• गोभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Plural

• रसैः: with juices/essences (delicacies)
• रसैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रस
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• अश्वैः: with horses
• अश्वैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• निष्कैः: with gold ornaments/coins (niṣkas)
• निष्कैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: निष्क
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

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

• वासोभिः: with garments
• वासोभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासस्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

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

• महाधनैः: with great riches/wealth
• महाधनैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाधन
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• वन्द्यमानाः: being praised/being saluted
• वन्द्यमानाः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वन्द्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, शानच् (present passive participle)

• जयाशीर्भिः: with blessings of victory
• जयाशीर्भिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जयाशीष्
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Plural

• सूत: the charioteer/bard (Sūta)
• सूत: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मागध: the panegyrist (Māgadha)
• मागध: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मागध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वन्दिभिः: by bards/praisers
• वन्दिभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन्दिन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• गो (cows)
• निष्क (gold ornaments)
• वस्त्र/वासस् (garments)
• सूताḥ (bards/court reciters)
• मागधाḥ (Magadha panegyrists)
• वन्दि (eulogists)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a royal ethic of dāna (generosity) and public honor: wealth is redistributed through gifts, while social voices (bards and heralds) confer legitimacy by praising and invoking victory—showing how power is sustained through both material giving and ritual acclaim.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the opening of the Karṇa Parva, the courtly entourage is depicted in a ceremonial mode: people are being honored with valuable gifts and are publicly praised with victory-blessings by professional court singers and heralds.