Shloka 23

अलंबलवधः (Alaṃbala-vadhaḥ) / The Slaying of Alaṃbala and the Advance toward Karṇa

Devanagari script

तदिदं नरकायाद्य कृतं॑ कर्म मया ध्रुवम्‌

Transliteration

tad idaṃ narakāya adya kṛtaṃ karma mayā dhruvam

Translation

Sañjaya berkata: “Perbuatan yang aku lakukan hari ini pasti merupakan karma yang membawa ke neraka.”

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• नरकाय: for hell
• नरकाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक
• Form: Neuter, Dative, Singular

• अद्य: today/now
• अद्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य

• कृतम्: done
• कृतम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• कर्म: deed, act
• कर्म: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Instrumental, Singular

• ध्रुवम्: certainly, surely
• ध्रुवम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्रुव
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Actions in war remain subject to moral judgment; success does not erase ethical responsibility. The speaker acknowledges that certain deeds carry inevitable negative consequences, emphasizing accountability and conscience.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya, narrating events, reflects on an action he has taken that day and condemns it as leading to hell, indicating a moment of guilt or moral shock amid the unfolding violence of the Drona Parva.