Shloka 87

कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ४०

Karṇa’s Pressure on the Pāñcālas; Duryodhana Disabled; Arjuna’s Counter-Advance

Devanagari script

एवं विद्वान्‌ मावमंस्था: सूतपुत्राच्युतार्जुनौ । नृसिंहौ तो महात्मानौ जोषमास्स्व विकत्थने

Transliteration

evaṁ vidvān māvamaṁsthāḥ sūtaputrācyutārjunau | nṛsiṁhau tau mahātmānau joṣam āssva vikatthane ||

Translation

Biết vậy rồi, hỡi con của người đánh xe, chớ khinh miệt Acyuta (Krishna) và Arjuna. Hai bậc đại hồn ấy là sư tử giữa loài người. Hãy dứt lời khoe khoang và ngồi yên trong lặng thinh.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus, in this manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• विद्वान्: a wise man, one who knows
• विद्वान्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्वस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मा: do not (prohibitive particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा

• अवमंस्थाः: you should despise/insult
• Type: Verb
• Root: अवमन् + स्था (परस्मैपद)
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सूतपुत्र: O son of a charioteer (Karna)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूतपुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• अच्युत: Achyuta (Krishna)
• अच्युत: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अच्युत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अर्जुनम्: Arjuna
• अर्जुनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• नृसिंहौ: two lion-like men
• नृसिंहौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृसिंह
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• महात्मानौ: two great-souled ones
• महात्मानौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• जोषम्: silence, quiet
• जोषम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: जोष
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आस्: sit, remain
• Type: Verb
• Root: आस् (आस् उपवेशने)
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• विकत्थने: in boasting, in bragging
• विकत्थने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विकत्थन
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

Speaker

काक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Kāka (speaker)
• Karṇa (addressed as Sūtaputra)
• Kṛṣṇa (Acyuta)
• Arjuna

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches restraint in speech and the ethical duty to respect truly great persons; boasting and contempt toward the virtuous and powerful leads to moral and practical ruin.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kāka addresses Karṇa, warning him not to insult Kṛṣṇa (Acyuta) and Arjuna, describing them as lion-like great souls, and urging him to stop bragging and remain silent.