Shloka 16

Devanagari script

कर्णमेवाभिषेक्ष्याम: सैनापत्येन भारत । कर्ण सेनापतिं कृत्वा प्रमथिष्यामहे रिपून्‌,“यदि सारे कार्य उत्तम नीतिके अनुसार किये जायाँ तो उनके द्वारा दैवको भी अनुकूल किया जा सकता है; अतः भारत! हमलोग सर्वगुणसम्पन्न नरश्रेष्ठ कर्णका ही सेनापतिके पदपर अभिषेक करेंगे और इन्हें सेनापति बनाकर हमलोग शत्रुओंकोी मथ डालेंगे

Transliteration

karṇam evābhiṣekṣyāmaḥ saināpatyena bhārata | karṇaṃ senāpatiṃ kṛtvā pramathiṣyāmahe ripūn ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：“噢，婆罗多啊，我们将唯独为迦尔那行灌顶礼，授以统帅之职。立迦尔那为将，我们必摧灭诸敌。”

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'कर्णम् (karṇam)', 'definition': 'Karna (accusative singular), the warrior to be appointed'}, {'term': 'एव (eva)', 'definition': 'alone, indeed, emphatically'}, {'term': 'अभिषेक्ष्यामः (abhiṣekṣyāmaḥ)', 'definition': 'we shall anoint/appoint (future, 1st person plural)'}, {'term': 'सैनापत्येन (saināpatyena)', 'definition': 'with/into the commandership

• by the office of general (instrumental)'}, {'term': 'भारत (bhārata)', 'definition': 'O Bhārata

• address to Dhṛtarāṣṭra (descendant of Bharata)'}, {'term': 'सेनापतिम् (senāpatim)', 'definition': 'commander, general (accusative singular)'}, {'term': 'कृत्वा (kṛtvā)', 'definition': 'having made, having appointed (absolutive)'}, {'term': 'प्रमथिष्यामहे (pramathiṣyāmahe)', 'definition': 'we shall crush, subdue, grind down (future, 1st person plural, middle)'}, {'term': 'रिपून् (ripūn)', 'definition': 'enemies, foes (accusative plural)'}]

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• संजय (Sañjaya)
• भारत (Bhārata—Dhṛtarāṣṭra)
• कर्ण (Karna)
• रिपु (the foes/enemies—Pāṇḍava side implied)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical-political principle that outcomes in war depend not only on force but on right organization and decisive leadership—appointing a capable commander to unify effort and direction. It also reflects the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension between fate and human initiative: the Kauravas seek to shape events through a strategic appointment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Kauravas intend to install Karṇa as the army’s commander. The aim is to strengthen their war leadership and, under Karṇa’s command, to overpower the opposing forces (implicitly the Pāṇḍavas).