Shloka 4

Devanagari script

यथाप्रतिज्ञं योधानां राधेय: कृतवानपि । कुरूणामथ सर्वेषां कर्ण: शत्रुनिष्‌दन:

Transliteration

yathāpratijñaṃ yodhānāṃ rādheyaḥ kṛtavān api | kurūṇām atha sarveṣāṃ karṇaḥ śatruniṣūdanaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: True to his vow, Rādheya (Karna) carried out what he had pledged concerning the warriors; and then Karna—slayer of foes—set about the destruction of all the Kurus’ enemies, acting with the grim resolve of a champion bound by his word amid the moral weight of war.

Word by Word

• यथा: as, according to
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• प्रतिज्ञम्: the vow/promise
• प्रतिज्ञम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिज्ञा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• योधानाम्: of the warriors
• Type: Noun
• Root: योद्धृ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• राधेयः: Radheya (Karna)
• राधेयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राधेय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कृतवान्: did, fulfilled
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, Periphrastic perfect (लिट्), Third, Parasmaipada (active)

• अपि: indeed, even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• कुरूणाम्: of the Kurus
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

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

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• कर्णः: Karna
• कर्णः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शत्रु-निषूदनः: slayer of enemies
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शत्रुनिषूदन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Rādheya (Karna)
• Kurus (Kauravas)
• warriors (yodhāḥ)
• enemies (śatravaḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical force of a vow (pratijñā): a warrior’s identity and honor are tied to keeping one’s word, even amid the harsh ambiguities of war. It also hints at the tension between personal loyalty/pledge and the broader demands of dharma in a destructive conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Karna, called Rādheya, fulfills his declared intention regarding the warriors and then proceeds as a formidable enemy-slayer, intensifying the battle on behalf of the Kurus (Kauravas).