Shloka 5

कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ५७

Arjuna’s targeted advance; Śalya–Karṇa dialogue; interception attempts

Devanagari script

त्रिभागश्नावशिष्टोडयं दिवसस्य जनार्दन । नच मां धार्तराष्ट्रेषु कच्चिद्‌ युध्यति संयुगे

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

tribhāgaś cāvaśiṣṭo 'yaṃ divasasya janārdana |

na ca māṃ dhārtarāṣṭreṣu kaścid yudhyati saṃyuge ||

Translation

Sañjaya dijo: «¡Oh Janārdana!, de este día sólo restan ya tres partes. Y, sin embargo, entre los hijos de Dhṛtarāṣṭra ninguno se enfrenta conmigo en el combate. Su negativa a medirse en batalla revela el derrumbe del ánimo marcial y del deber en la hora decisiva, cuando la obligación de un kṣatriya es mantenerse firme y luchar, no retirarse de una contienda justa.»

Word by Word

• त्रिभागः: three parts (i.e., three quarters)
• त्रिभागः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + भाग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• अवशिष्टः: remaining
• अवशिष्टः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवशिष्ट (from √शिष्/√शेष् 'to remain')
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उदयम्: rise; (here) the day’s course/portion (intended sense: the day)
• उदयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दिवसस्य: of the day
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवस
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• जनार्दन: O Janārdana (Krishna)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्दन
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

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

• धार्तराष्ट्रेषु: among the Dhārtarāṣṭras (sons/forces of Dhṛtarāṣṭra)
• धार्तराष्ट्रेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धार्तराष्ट्र (patronymic of Dhṛtarāṣṭra)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• कच्चित्: surely? I hope; is it the case that…?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कच्चित्

• युध्यति: fights
• Type: Verb
• Root: √युध्
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• संयुगे: in battle
• संयुगे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संयुग
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Janārdana (Kṛṣṇa)
• Dhārtarāṣṭras (Kauravas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical expectation of steadfastness in one’s duty: in a war context, it criticizes the failure of warriors to uphold kṣatriya-dharma by avoiding engagement when the day is nearing its end.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya addresses Kṛṣṇa (Janārdana), noting that only a short portion of the day remains, yet none from the Kaurava side (Dhārtarāṣṭras) is coming forward to fight him in the ongoing battle.