Shloka 15

Devanagari script

संजय उवाच एवमुक्तस्तदा कर्णो वासुदेवेन भारत । लज्जयावनतो भूत्वा नोत्तरं किज्चिदुक्तवान्‌

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca evam uktas tadā karṇo vāsudevena bhārata | lajjayāvanato bhūtvā nottaraṃ kiñcid uktavān ||

Translation

Sañjaya berkata: Wahai Bhārata, ketika Vāsudeva (Śrī Kṛṣṇa) berkata demikian kepadanya, Karṇa dikuasai rasa malu, menundukkan kepala, dan tidak mampu mengucapkan sepatah jawapan pun.

Word by Word

• संजयः: Sanjaya
• संजयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: संजय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• एवम्: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• उक्तः: having been spoken to / addressed
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: क्त, Masculine, Nominative, Singular, Passive (past participle)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

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

• वासुदेवेन: by Vasudeva (Krishna)
• वासुदेवेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुदेव
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• भारत: O Bharata
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• लज्जया: out of shame / with shame
• लज्जया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लज्जा
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• अवनतः: bowed down, with head lowered
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवनत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भूत्वा: having become
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive), Active

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

• उत्तरम्: an answer
• उत्तरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• किञ्चित्: anything, at all
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किञ्चित्

• उक्तवान्: said / spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: क्तवत्, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Karṇa
• Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)
• Bhārata (Dhṛtarāṣṭra as addressee)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

When ethical truth is pressed upon a person, inner conscience may manifest as shame and silence. The verse highlights accountability: Kṛṣṇa’s words leave Karṇa without a defensible reply, suggesting the weight of dharma even amid wartime loyalties.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that after Kṛṣṇa (Vāsudeva) addresses Karṇa, Karṇa lowers his head in embarrassment and remains silent, unable to respond.