Mahabharata
Duryodhanamantra-parva (A New Evil Counsel)3.8.7–13
2815 / 15823
Mahabharata · 3.8.7–13
Devanāgarī

शकुनिर् उवाच
किं बालिषां मतिं राजन्न् आस्थितो ऽसि विशां पते ॥
गतास् ते समयं कृत्वा नैतद् एवं भविष्यति ॥
सत्यवाक्ये स्थिताः सर्वे पाण्डवा भरतर्षभ ॥
पितुस् ते वचनं तात न ग्रहीष्यन्ति कर्हि चित् ॥
अथ वा ते ग्रहीष्यन्ति पुनर् एष्यन्ति वा पुरम् ॥
निरस्य समयं भूयः पणो ऽस्माकं भविष्यति ॥
सर्वे भवामो मध्यस्था राज्ञश् छन्दानुवर्तिनः ॥
छिद्रं बहु प्रपश्यन्तः पाण्डवानां सुसंवृताः ॥
दुःशासन उवाच
एवम् एतन् महाप्राज्ञ यथा वदसि मातुल ॥
नित्यं हि मे कथयतस् तव बुद्धिर् हि रोचते ॥
कर्ण उवाच
कामम् ईक्षामहे सर्वे दुर्योधन तवेप्सितम् ॥
ऐकमत्यं हि नो राजन् सर्वेषाम् एव लक्ष्यते ॥
वैशंपायन उवाच
एवम् उक्तस् तु कर्णेन राजा दुर्योधनस् तदा ॥
नातिहृष्टमनाः क्षिप्रम् अभवत् स पराङ्मुखः ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

śakunir uvāca
kiṃ bāliṣāṃ matiṃ rājann āsthito 'si viśāṃ pate ||
gatās te samayaṃ kṛtvā naitad evaṃ bhaviṣyati ||
satyavākye sthitāḥ sarve pāṇḍavā bharatarṣabha ||
pitus te vacanaṃ tāta na grahīṣyanti karhi cit ||
atha vā te grahīṣyanti punar eṣyanti vā puram ||
nirasya samayaṃ bhūyaḥ paṇo 'smākaṃ bhaviṣyati ||
sarve bhavāmo madhyasthā rājñaś chandānuvartinaḥ ||
chidraṃ bahu prapaśyantaḥ pāṇḍavānāṃ susaṃvṛtāḥ ||
duḥśāsana uvāca
evam etan mahāprājña yathā vadasi mātula ||
nityaṃ hi me kathayatas tava buddhir hi rocate ||
karṇa uvāca
kāmam īkṣāmahe sarve duryodhana tavepsitam ||
aikamatyaṃ hi no rājan sarveṣām eva lakṣyate ||
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
evam uktas tu karṇena rājā duryodhanas tadā ||
nātihṛṣṭamanāḥ kṣipram abhavat sa parāṅmukhaḥ ||

Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
शकुनिः उवाचśakuniḥ uvācaShakuni said
किं बालिषां मतिं राजन्kiṃ bāliṣāṃ matiṃ rājanwhat childish notion, O king
आस्थितः असि विशां पतेāsthitaḥ asi viśāṃ patehave you adopted, O lord of men
गताः ते समयं कृत्वाgatāḥ te samayaṃ kṛtvāthey departed, having made an agreement
न एतद् एवं भविष्यतिna etad evaṃ bhaviṣyatiit will not be so
सत्यवाक्ये स्थिताः सर्वेsatyavākye sthitāḥ sarveall stand firm in truthful speech
पाण्डवा भरतर्षभpāṇḍavā bharatarṣabhathe Pandavas, O best of the Bharatas
पितुः ते वचनं तातpituḥ te vacanaṃ tātayour father's word, dear one
न ग्रहीष्यन्ति कर्हि चित्na grahīṣyanti karhi citthey will never accept
अथ वा ते ग्रहीष्यन्तिatha vā te grahīṣyantior if they do accept
पुनर् एष्यन्ति वा पुरम्punar eṣyanti vā puramand come again to the city
निरस्य समयं भूयःnirasya samayaṃ bhūyaḥhaving cast aside the agreement, once more
पणः अस्माकं भविष्यतिpaṇaḥ asmākaṃ bhaviṣyatithe stake will be ours
सर्वे भवामः मध्यस्थाःsarve bhavāmaḥ madhyasthāḥwe shall all remain neutral
राज्ञः छन्दानुवर्तिनःrājñaḥ chandānuvartinaḥfollowing the will of the king
छिद्रं बहु प्रपश्यन्तःchidraṃ bahu prapaśyantaḥseeing many weak points
पाण्डवानां सुसंवृताःpāṇḍavānāṃ susaṃvṛtāḥin the Pandavas, well concealed ourselves
दुःशासन उवाचduḥśāsana uvācaDuhshasana said
एवम् एतत् महाप्राज्ञevam etat mahāprājñait is indeed so, O most wise one
यथा वदसि मातुलyathā vadasi mātulaas you say, uncle
नित्यं हि मे कथयतःnityaṃ hi me kathayataḥfor whenever you speak
तव बुद्धिः हि रोचतेtava buddhiḥ hi rocateyour thinking pleases me
कर्ण उवाचkarṇa uvācaKarna said
कामम् ईक्षामहे सर्वेkāmam īkṣāmahe sarvewe all desire
दुर्योधन तव ईप्सितम्duryodhana tava īpsitamwhat is desired by you, Duryodhana
ऐकमत्यं हि नः राजन्aikamatyaṃ hi naḥ rājanfor our unanimity, O king
सर्वेषाम् एव लक्ष्यतेsarveṣām eva lakṣyateis evident among all
वैशंपायन उवाचvaiśaṃpāyana uvācaVaishampayana said
एवम् उक्तः तु कर्णेनevam uktaḥ tu karṇenathus addressed by Karna
राजा दुर्योधनः तदाrājā duryodhanaḥ tadāking Duryodhana then
न अतिहृष्टमनाः क्षिप्रम्na atihṛṣṭamanāḥ kṣipramnot overly gladdened in mind, quickly
अभवत् स पराङ्मुखःabhavat sa parāṅmukhaḥturned away
शकुनिर्śakuniroriginal form "śakunir", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
राजन्न्rājannoriginal form "rājann", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
आस्थितोāsthitooriginal form "āsthito", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽसि'sioriginal form "'si", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
गतास्gatāsoriginal form "gatās", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नैतद्naitadoriginal form "naitad", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पितुस्pitusoriginal form "pitus", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पणोpaṇooriginal form "paṇo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽस्माकं'smākaṃoriginal form "'smākaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भवामोbhavāmooriginal form "bhavāmo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मध्यस्थाmadhyasthāoriginal form "madhyasthā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
राज्ञश्rājñaśoriginal form "rājñaś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
एतन्etanoriginal form "etan", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कथयतस्kathayatasoriginal form "kathayatas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
बुद्धिर्buddhiroriginal form "buddhir", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तवेप्सितम्tavepsitamoriginal form "tavepsitam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नोnooriginal form "no", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
उक्तस्uktasoriginal form "uktas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
दुर्योधनस्duryodhanasoriginal form "duryodhanas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नातिहृष्टमनाःnātihṛṣṭamanāḥoriginal form "nātihṛṣṭamanāḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation

Shakuni said: "O king, what childish notion have you adopted? They departed having made an agreement; it will not turn out this way. All the Pandavas hold fast to truthful speech, O best of the Bharatas, and will never accept your father's word. But if they do accept it and come again to the city, breaking the agreement, the game will once more be staked for us. We shall all remain neutral, following the will of the king, and, well concealed, shall see many vulnerable points in the Pandavas." Duhshasana said: "It is exactly so, O most wise one, as you say, uncle. Your thinking always pleases me." Karna said: "Duryodhana, we all desire what you desire; the unanimity of all of us is plain to see." But hearing Karna's words, king Duryodhana was not overly pleased and turned away.

Version

2c7becbe8635 · published Jul 16, 2026, 4:33:28 PM UTC

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