Mahabharata 1.196.13–14

Viduragamana-parva (droṇa-karṇa-saṃvāda) (Droṇa's Counsel and the Dispute with Karṇa)1.196.13–14

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Mahabharata · 1.196.13–14

॥

Devanāgarī

कर्ण उवाच
योजिताव् अर्थमानाभ्यां सर्वकार्येष्व् अनन्तरौ ॥
न मन्त्रयेतां त्वच्छ्रेयः किम् अद्भुततरं ततः ॥
दुष्टेन मनसा यो वै प्रच्छन्नेनान्तरात्मना ॥
ब्रूयान् निःश्रेयसं नाम कथं कुर्यात् सतां मतम् ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

karṇa uvāca
yojitāv arthamānābhyāṃ sarvakāryeṣv anantarau ||
na mantrayetāṃ tvacchreyaḥ kim adbhutataraṃ tataḥ ||
duṣṭena manasā yo vai pracchannenāntarātmanā ||
brūyān niḥśreyasaṃ nāma kathaṃ kuryāt satāṃ matam ||

Word-by-word

SanskritIASTMeaning

योजितौ अर्थमानाभ्यां सर्वकार्येषु अनन्तरौyojitau arthamānābhyāṃ sarvakāryeṣu anantarauEnriched with wealth and honor, your intimates [close advisers] in all affairs,

न मन्त्रयेतां त्वच्छ्रेयः किम् अद्भुततरं ततःna mantrayetāṃ tvacchreyaḥ kim adbhutataraṃ tataḥif they do not counsel you toward your good — what could be more astonishing than that?

दुष्टेन मनसा यः वै प्रच्छन्नेन अन्तरात्मनाduṣṭena manasā yaḥ vai pracchannena antarātmanāone who, with a wicked mind and a concealed inner self,

ब्रूयात् निःश्रेयसं नाम कथं कुर्यात् सतां मतम्brūyāt niḥśreyasaṃ nāma kathaṃ kuryāt satāṃ matamutters a feigned 'supreme good' — how could he speak the judgment of the virtuous?

कर्णkarṇaoriginal form "karṇa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage

योजिताव्yojitāvoriginal form "yojitāv", added to complete the word-by-word coverage

सर्वकार्येष्व्sarvakāryeṣvoriginal form "sarvakāryeṣv", added to complete the word-by-word coverage

योyooriginal form "yo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage

प्रच्छन्नेनान्तरात्मनाpracchannenāntarātmanāoriginal form "pracchannenāntarātmanā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage

ब्रूयान्brūyānoriginal form "brūyān", added to complete the word-by-word coverage

Translation

Karna said: "Your intimates, enriched with wealth and honor in every affair — if they do not counsel you toward your good, what could be more astonishing than that? One who, with a wicked mind and a hidden inner self, utters a feigned 'supreme good' — how could he speak the judgment of the virtuous?"

Commentary

Here a slanderer casts vice upon the righteous. It is significant that Karna maligns Bhishma and Drona as corrupt: the impure measures others by his own measure and sees self-interest even in the pure. Here appears the truth that malicious speech attributes its own taint to the worthy, in order to devalue their word. Thus scripture shows slander cast upon the elders; and the shadow thrown on the righteous betrays only the malice of the slanderer.

Version

e3909f5f3cb4 · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:54:01 PM UTC

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