Shloka 16

Devanagari script

जहि कर्ण महाबाहो नमुचिं वृत्रहा यथा । श्रेयस्ते5स्तु सदा पार्थ युद्धे जयमवाप्नुहि

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | jahi karṇa mahābāho namuciṁ vṛtrahā yathā | śreyas te 'stu sadā pārtha yuddhe jayam avāpnuhi ||

Translation

Sañjaya berkata: “Wahai yang berlengan perkasa, tewaskanlah Karṇa sebagaimana Vṛtrahā (Indra) menewaskan Namuci. Wahai Pārtha, semoga kebaikan selalu menyertaimu; raihlah kemenangan dalam pertempuran.”

Word by Word

• जहि: slay
• जहि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (√हन्)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), 2, singular, परस्मैपदम्

• कर्ण: Karna
• कर्ण: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• महाबाहो: O mighty-armed one
• महाबाहो: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाबाहु
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• नमुचिम्: Namuci
• नमुचिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमुचि
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• वृत्रहा: Vṛtra-slayer (Indra)
• वृत्रहा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्रहन्
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• यथा: as, just as
• यथा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• श्रेयः: welfare, good fortune
• श्रेयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस्
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• ते: to you/for you
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: dative, singular

• अस्तु: may it be
• अस्तु: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (√अस्)
• Form: लोट् (imperative/benedictive sense), 3, singular, परस्मैपदम्

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा

• पार्थ: O Pārtha (Arjuna)
• पार्थ: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• युद्धे: in battle
• युद्धे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

• जयम्: victory
• जयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: जय
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• अवाप्नुहि: attain, obtain
• अवाप्नुहि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + आप् (√आप्)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), 2, singular, परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Karna
• Pārtha (Arjuna)
• Indra (Vṛtrahā)
• Namuci
• Vṛtra (by epithet in Vṛtrahā)
• battle (yuddha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse uses a mythic exemplar (Indra’s slaying of Namuci) to legitimize decisive action in a righteous battle: when duty demands, the warrior should act without hesitation, trusting in auspicious support and aiming at victory aligned with dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya delivers an exhortation and blessing: he urges the warrior to kill Karṇa by invoking the precedent of Indra defeating Namuci, and he pronounces a benediction that Pārtha (Arjuna) will attain victory in the ongoing Kurukṣetra war.