Shloka 46

Devanagari script

मा कर्ण राक्षसो घोर: प्रमादान्नाशयिष्यति । “मानद! तुम सेनाके साथ सावधान होकर रणभूमिमें कर्णकी रक्षा करो। कहीं ऐसा न हो कि हमलोगोंके प्रमादवश वह भयंकर राक्षस कर्णका विनाश कर डाले”

Transliteration

mā karṇa rākṣaso ghoraḥ pramādān nāśayiṣyati |

Translation

Sañjaya said: “O Karṇa, let not that dreadful rākṣasa destroy you because of our negligence. Therefore, with the army, remain vigilant on the battlefield and protect Karṇa—lest, through our carelessness, that terrible demon bring about Karṇa’s ruin.”

Word by Word

• मा: do not / lest
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा
• Form: prohibitive particle (used with injunctive/optative/future sense)

• कर्णम्: Karna (as object)
• कर्णम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• राक्षसः: the demon
• राक्षसः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• घोरः: terrible, dreadful
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular (agreeing with राक्षसः)

• प्रमादात्: from negligence / due to carelessness
• प्रमादात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमाद
• Form: masculine, ablative, singular

• नाशयिष्यति: will destroy
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश् (नाशयति, causative of नश्)
• Form: future, parasmaipada, 3rd person, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Karṇa
• rākṣasa (unnamed adversary)
• army (senā)
• battlefield (raṇabhūmi)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in war, outcomes are not attributed only to enemy strength; negligence (pramāda) is portrayed as a decisive moral and practical failing. The verse urges alertness and collective responsibility to prevent avoidable catastrophe.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya warns that a fearsome rākṣasa-like opponent may kill Karṇa if the Kaurava side becomes careless. He calls for coordinated vigilance with the army to safeguard Karṇa on the battlefield.