Shloka 102

Devanagari script

यदि पार्थो रणे हन्यादद्य मामिह कर्हिचित्‌ । कि करिष्यसि संग्रामे शल्य सत्यमथोच्यताम्‌

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | yadi pārtho raṇe hanyād adya mām iha karhicit | kiṁ kariṣyasi saṅgrāme śalya satyam athocyatām ||

Translation

Sanjaya said: “If Partha (Arjuna) were to slay me here today in battle—tell me truly, O Shalya—what would you do in this war?” In the ethical tension of the battlefield, Karna presses Shalya for an honest answer about loyalty and resolve in the face of a possible reversal of fortune.

Word by Word

• यदि: if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि

• पार्थः: Partha (Arjuna)
• पार्थः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• हन्यात्: should kill
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अद्य: today
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Accusative, Singular

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह

• कर्हिचित्: at any time / by chance
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कर्हिचित्

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• करिष्यसि: will you do
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Simple Future (Lṛṭ), 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• संग्रामे: in the battle
• संग्रामे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संग्राम
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• शल्य: O Shalya
• शल्य: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शल्य
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अथ: then / now
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• उच्यताम्: let it be said / be spoken
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Imperative (Loṭ), 3rd, Singular, Passive (Karmani)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Partha (Arjuna)
• Karna
• Shalya
• battlefield (raṇa/saṅgrāma)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds satya (truthfulness) and clarity of intent amid crisis: Karna demands an unvarnished answer from Shalya about what he will do if Karna falls. It highlights how dharma in war includes honest counsel and steadfastness, even when outcomes are uncertain.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Karna Parva battle context, Karna addresses his charioteer Shalya and asks: if Arjuna were to kill him today, what would Shalya do next in the war? The question probes Shalya’s loyalty and reaction, and also reflects the looming possibility of Karna’s defeat.