Karna Proposes Drona as Commander

Verse 1 (7.5.1)

रथस्थं पुरुषव्याघ्रं दृष्टा कर्णमवस्थितम् । हृष्टो दुर्योधनो राजन्निदं वचनमब्रवीत् ॥

rathasthaṃ puruṣavyāghraṃ dṛṣṭā karṇamavasthitam | hṛṣṭo duryodhano rājannidaṃ vacanamabravīt

Seeing Karna standing on his chariot, that tiger among men, Duryodhana was delighted, O king, and spoke these words.

Verse 2 (7.5.2)

सनाथमिव मन्येऽहं भवता पालितं बलम् । अत्र किं नु समर्थं यद्धितं तत्सम्प्रधार्यताम् ॥

sanāthamiva manye'haṃ bhavatā pālitaṃ balam | atra kiṃ nu samarthaṃ yaddhitaṃ tatsampradhāryatām

I feel that this army, guarded by you, now has a protector. Let us settle here what is fitting and what is for our good.

Note on the text: Speaker: Duryodhana's speech begins here; the page prints no heading (the verse falls under the सञ्जय उवाच heading before verse 1) and the input carried सञ्जय over. The critical edition (7.5.2) reads sanātham idam atyarthaṃ … manye; the page's wording is kept as a variant.

Verse 3 (7.5.3)

ब्रूहि नः पुरुषव्याघ्र त्वं हि प्राज्ञतमो नृषु । यथा चार्थपतिः कृत्यं पश्यते न तथेतरः ॥

brūhi naḥ puruṣavyāghra tvaṃ hi prājñatamo nṛṣu | yathā cārthapatiḥ kṛtyaṃ paśyate na tathetaraḥ

Speak, O tiger among men; you are the wisest of men. A lord of the work sees what must be done as no one else can.

Verse 4 (7.5.4)

ते स्म सर्वे तव वचः श्रोतुकामा नरेश्वर । नान्याय्यं हि भवान्वाक्यं ब्रूयादिति मतिर्मम ॥

te sma sarve tava vacaḥ śrotukāmā nareśvara | nānyāyyaṃ hi bhavānvākyaṃ brūyāditi matirmama

All of us, O lord of men, are eager to hear your words; and I am sure that you would never say anything improper.

Verse 5 (7.5.5)

भीष्मः सेनाप्रणेताऽऽसीद्वयसा विक्रमेण च । श्रुतेन चोपसम्पन्नः सर्वैर्योधगणैस्तथा ॥

bhīṣmaḥ senāpraṇetā''sīdvayasā vikrameṇa ca | śrutena copasampannaḥ sarvairyodhagaṇaistathā

Bhishma was our leader of the army, distinguished by his years and his prowess, by his learning, and by every quality of a warrior.

Verse 6 (7.5.6)

तेनातियशसा कर्ण घ्नता शत्रुगणान्मम । सुयुद्धेन दशाहानि पालिताः स्मो महात्मना ॥

tenātiyaśasā karṇa ghnatā śatrugaṇānmama | suyuddhena daśāhāni pālitāḥ smo mahātmanā

That greatly renowned and noble soul, O Karna, destroying my foes in fair fight, protected us for ten days.

Verse 7 (7.5.7)

तस्मिन्नसुकरं कर्म कृतवत्यास्थिते दिवम् । कं तु सेनाप्रणेतारं मन्यसे तदनन्तरम् ॥

tasminnasukaraṃ karma kṛtavatyāsthite divam | kaṃ tu senāpraṇetāraṃ manyase tadanantaram

Now that he has done a deed so hard to do and has gone to heaven, whom do you think the leader of the army should be after him?

Verse 8 (7.5.8)

न विना नायकं सेना मुहूर्तमपि तिष्ठति । आहवेषु विशेषेण भ्रष्टनेत्रेष्विवाञ्जनम् । आहवेष्वाहवश्रेष्ठ नेतृहीनेव नौर्जले ॥

na vinā nāyakaṃ senā muhūrtamapi tiṣṭhati | āhaveṣu viśeṣeṇa bhraṣṭanetreṣvivāñjanam | āhaveṣvāhavaśreṣṭha netṛhīneva naurjale

An army does not stand for even a moment without a leader, above all in battles, like salve for eyes that have lost their sight. In battles, O best of warriors, an army without a leader is like a boat on the water without a helmsman.

Note on the text: Three lines. Lines 1 and 3 are the critical edition's 7.5.8ab and cd (न विना for na ṛte kept as a variant); line 2 is its star passage 7.5.8b*0039_01, not in the constituted text. The page marks line 2 off with a backtick and a closing quote mark (its sign for an interpolated line); both marks were removed, along with the extra danda the input added after them.

Verse 9 (7.5.9)

यथा ह्यकर्णधारा नौ रथश्चासारथिर्यथा । द्रवेद्यथेष्टं तद्वत्स्यादृते सेनापतिं बलम् ॥

yathā hyakarṇadhārā nau rathaścāsārathiryathā | dravedyatheṣṭaṃ tadvatsyādṛte senāpatiṃ balam

Just as a boat without a helmsman, or a chariot without a charioteer, runs wherever it will, so an army would be without a commander.

Verse 10 (7.5.10)

अदेशिको यथा सार्थः सर्वः कृच्छ्रं समृच्छति । अनायका तथा सेना सर्वान्दोषान्समर्च्छति ॥

adeśiko yathā sārthaḥ sarvaḥ kṛcchraṃ samṛcchati | anāyakā tathā senā sarvāndoṣānsamarcchati

As a caravan without a guide meets with every hardship, so an army without a leader falls into every kind of fault.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's constituted text (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition records it in its apparatus as the star passage 7.5.9d*0040_01–02 (reading adaiśiko, sarvaṃ pāpaṃ samarchati for the page's अदेशिको, सर्वः कृच्छ्रं समृच्छति).

Verse 11 (7.5.11)

स भवान्वीक्ष्य सर्वेषु मामकेषु महात्मसु । पश्य सेनापतिं युक्तमनु शान्तनवादिह ॥

sa bhavānvīkṣya sarveṣu māmakeṣu mahātmasu | paśya senāpatiṃ yuktamanu śāntanavādiha

So, sir, look over all these great souls of mine and name the one fit to be commander of the army here, after the son of Shantanu.

Note on the text: Corrected भावन्वीक्ष्य → भवान्वीक्ष्य (misprint in Wikisource; a stray ā sign, critical edition sa bhavān vīkṣya).

Verse 12 (7.5.12)

यं हि सेनाप्रणेतारं भवान्वक्ष्यति संयुगे । तं वयं सहिताः सर्वे करिष्यामो न संशयः ॥

yaṃ hi senāpraṇetāraṃ bhavānvakṣyati saṃyuge | taṃ vayaṃ sahitāḥ sarve kariṣyāmo na saṃśayaḥ

Whomever you name in battle as leader of the army, all of us together will make him so, without doubt.

Note on the text: Corrected सेनाप्रमेतारं → सेनाप्रणेतारं (misprint in Wikisource; म for ण, critical edition senāpraṇetāraṃ). करिष्यामो न संशयः (CE prakariṣyāma māriṣa) kept as a variant.

Verse 13 (7.5.13)

सर्व एव महात्मान इमे पुरुषसत्तमाः । सेनापतित्वमर्हन्ति नात्र कार्या विचारणा ॥

sarva eva mahātmāna ime puruṣasattamāḥ | senāpatitvamarhanti nātra kāryā vicāraṇā

All these great souls, these best of men, are worthy of the command of the army; there is no need to deliberate on that.

Verse 14 (7.5.14)

कुलसंहननज्ञानैर्बलविक्रमबुद्धिभिः । युक्ताः श्रुतज्ञा धीमन्त आहवेष्वनिवर्तिनः ॥

kulasaṃhananajñānairbalavikramabuddhibhiḥ | yuktāḥ śrutajñā dhīmanta āhaveṣvanivartinaḥ

They have lineage, bodily strength and learning, power, valor and wisdom; they are learned, intelligent, and never turn back from battles.

Verse 15 (7.5.15)

युगपन्न तु ते शक्याः कर्तुं सर्वे पुरःसराः । एक एव तु कर्तव्यो यस्मिन्वैशेषिका गुणाः ॥

yugapanna tu te śakyāḥ kartuṃ sarve puraḥsarāḥ | eka eva tu kartavyo yasminvaiśeṣikā guṇāḥ

But they cannot all be placed in the lead at once. One alone should be chosen, in whom the distinguishing qualities are found.

Verse 16 (7.5.16)

अन्योन्यस्पर्धिनां ह्येषां यद्येकं त्वं करिष्यसि । शेषा विमनसो व्यक्तं न योत्स्यन्ति हितास्तव ॥

anyonyaspardhināṃ hyeṣāṃ yadyekaṃ tvaṃ kariṣyasi | śeṣā vimanaso vyaktaṃ na yotsyanti hitāstava

They vie with one another; if you set up only one of them, the rest will clearly be disheartened and will not fight for your good.

Verse 17 (7.5.17)

अयं च सर्वयोधानामाचार्यः स्थिवरो गुरुः । युक्तः सेनापतिः कर्तुं द्रोणः शस्त्रभृतां वरः ॥

ayaṃ ca sarvayodhānāmācāryaḥ sthivaro guruḥ | yuktaḥ senāpatiḥ kartuṃ droṇaḥ śastrabhṛtāṃ varaḥ

This Drona, the teacher of all the warriors, an elder and a guru, the best of those who bear weapons, is fit to be made commander.

Verse 18 (7.5.18)

को हि तिष्ठति दुर्धर्षे द्रोणे शस्त्रभृतां वरे । सेनापतिः स्यादन्योऽस्माच्छुक्राङ्गिरसदर्शनात् ॥

ko hi tiṣṭhati durdharṣe droṇe śastrabhṛtāṃ vare | senāpatiḥ syādanyo'smācchukrāṅgirasadarśanāt

For while the unassailable Drona stands there, the best of weapon-bearers, who sees as Shukra and Angiras see, who else could be commander?

Note on the text: Word space restored in सेनापतिः स्यात् and the avagraha restored in अन्योऽस्मात् (omitted in Wikisource; critical edition senāpatiḥ syād anyo 'smāc …).

Verse 19 (7.5.19)

न च सोऽप्यस्ति ते योधः सर्वराजसु भारत । द्रोणं यः समरे यान्तं नानुयास्यति संयुगे ॥

na ca so'pyasti te yodhaḥ sarvarājasu bhārata | droṇaṃ yaḥ samare yāntaṃ nānuyāsyati saṃyuge

Nor is there, among all the kings, any warrior of yours, O Bharata, who would not follow Drona as he goes into battle.

Note on the text: Corrected यान्तमनुयास्यति → यान्तं नानुयास्यति (misprint in Wikisource; the negative न is dropped, which reverses the sense — Karna's point is that every warrior will follow Drona; critical edition yāntaṃ nānuyāsyati).

Verse 20 (7.5.20)

एष सेनाप्रणेतॄणामेष शस्त्रभृतामपि । एष बुद्धिमतां चैव श्रेष्ठो राजन्गुरुस्तव ॥

eṣa senāpraṇetṝṇāmeṣa śastrabhṛtāmapi | eṣa buddhimatāṃ caiva śreṣṭho rājangurustava

He is the best among leaders of armies, among bearers of weapons, and among the wise; he is your teacher, O king.

Verse 21 (7.5.21)

एवं दुर्योधनाचार्यमाशु सेनापतिं कुरु । जिगीषन्तोऽसुरान्सङ्ख्ये कार्तिकेयमिवामराः ॥

evaṃ duryodhanācāryamāśu senāpatiṃ kuru | jigīṣanto'surānsaṅkhye kārtikeyamivāmarāḥ

So, Duryodhana, make the teacher your commander at once, as the immortals, eager to conquer the asuras in battle, made Kartikeya theirs.

Note on the text: Corrected जिगीषन्तो सुरान् → जिगीषन्तोऽसुरान् (the avagraha is omitted in Wikisource, which would make the gods the object of the conquest; critical edition jigīṣanto 'surān).