Mahabharata · 1.196.19–20
॥
Devanāgarī
तस्यामात्यो महाकर्णिर् बभूवैकेश्वरः पुरा ॥
स लब्धबलम् आत्मानं मन्यमानो ऽवमन्यते ॥
स राज्ञ उपभोग्यानि स्त्रियो रत्नधनानि च ॥
आददे सर्वशो मूढ ऐश्वर्यं च स्वयं तदा ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tasyāmātyo mahākarṇir babhūvaikeśvaraḥ purā ||
sa labdhabalam ātmānaṃ manyamāno 'vamanyate ||
sa rājña upabhogyāni striyo ratnadhanāni ca ||
ādade sarvaśo mūḍha aiśvaryaṃ ca svayaṃ tadā ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तस्य अमात्यः महाकर्णिः बभूव एकेश्वरः पुराtasya amātyaḥ mahākarṇiḥ babhūva ekeśvaraḥ purāHis minister Mahakarni became the sole ruler in former times;
सः लब्धबलम् आत्मानं मन्यमानः अवमन्यतेsaḥ labdhabalam ātmānaṃ manyamānaḥ avamanyatehe, thinking himself possessed of power, held the king in contempt;
सः राज्ञः उपभोग्यानि स्त्रियः रत्नधनानि चsaḥ rājñaḥ upabhogyāni striyaḥ ratnadhanāni cahe took what the king had enjoyed — the women, the jewels and the riches,
आददे सर्वशः मूढः ऐश्वर्यं च स्वयं तदाādade sarvaśaḥ mūḍhaḥ aiśvaryaṃ ca svayaṃ tadāhe seized everything, the fool, and the sovereignty itself for himself then;
तस्यामात्योtasyāmātyooriginal form "tasyāmātyo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
महाकर्णिर्mahākarṇiroriginal form "mahākarṇir", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
बभूवैकेश्वरःbabhūvaikeśvaraḥoriginal form "babhūvaikeśvaraḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मन्यमानोmanyamānooriginal form "manyamāno", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽवमन्यते'vamanyateoriginal form "'vamanyate", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
राज्ञrājñaoriginal form "rājña", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
स्त्रियोstriyooriginal form "striyo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सर्वशोsarvaśooriginal form "sarvaśo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मूढmūḍhaoriginal form "mūḍha", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"His minister Mahakarni became the sole ruler in those days; thinking himself possessed of power, he held the king in contempt; he seized what the king had enjoyed — his wives, jewels, and riches — he took everything, the fool, and the sovereignty itself for his own."
Version
37cf9c6d8056 · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:54:01 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the ingratitude and greed of a trusted servant reveal themselves. It is significant that a minister vested with trust plunders a helpless sovereign: power unchecked by conscience turns into plunder. Here it becomes clear that without dharma a trusted servant becomes a thief. Thus scripture shows the fall of Mahakarni; and the parable exposes greed — though Karna bends it toward another purpose.