Shloka 15

खरवधः — The Slaying of Khara

Janasthana Battle Climax

Devanagari script

कालपाशपरिक्षिप्ता भवन्ति पुरुषा हि ये।कार्याकार्यं न जानन्ति ते निरस्तषडिन्द्रियाः।।।।

Transliteration

kālapāśaparikṣiptā bhavanti puruṣā hi ye | kāryākāryaṃ na jānanti te nirastaṣaḍindriyāḥ || 3.30.15 ||

Translation

Aquellos hombres a quienes ya ha atado el lazo del Tiempo pierden los sentidos; ya no distinguen lo que debe hacerse de lo que no debe hacerse, pues sus seis facultades han sido anuladas.

Word by Word

• काल-पाश-परिक्षिप्ताः: ensnared by the noose of time/death
• काल-पाश-परिक्षिप्ताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक) + पाश (प्रातिपदिक) + परि + क्षिप् (धातु) → परिक्षिप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कालस्य पाशेन परिक्षिप्ताः)

• भवन्ति: become/are
• भवन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• पुरुषाः: men
• पुरुषाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (indeed)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• कार्य-अकार्यं: right and wrong action
• कार्य-अकार्यं: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; कृ धातु) + अकार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्वन्द्वः (what should be done and what should not be done)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• जानन्ति: know
• जानन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• निरस्त-षट्-इन्द्रियाः: with their six faculties disabled
• निरस्त-षट्-इन्द्रियाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् + अस् (धातु) → निरस्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + षट् (संख्या) + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (येषां षडिन्द्रियाणि निरस्तानि)

Context

Those bound by the noose of death, do not know what to and what not to do, as their six senses cease to function.

Characters & Entities

• Khara
• Rāma
• Kāla (Time/Death)
• Pāśa (noose)

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Dharma requires discrimination between duty and forbidden action (kārya/akārya); the loss of such discernment is portrayed as a sign of imminent downfall.

What is the narrative situation?

Khara continues his angry reply, asserting that one bound by ‘Time’s noose’ loses judgment—implying Rāma is doomed.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Discernment (viveka) is foregrounded as a virtue—ironically, the narrative suggests Khara himself lacks it.