Shloka 12

अर्जुनोक्तिः—कृष्णं प्रति पुरुषकार‑कर्म‑विचारः

Arjuna’s Address to Krishna: Agency, Action, and Immediate Counsel

Devanagari script

य एवं कृतबुद्धि: स कर्मस्वेव प्रवर्तते । नासिद्धौ व्यथते तस्य न सिद्धौ हर्षमश्लुते,जो अपनी बुद्धिमें ऐसा निश्चय करके कर्मामें ही प्रवृत्त होता है, वह फलकी सिद्धि न होनेपर दुःखी नहीं होता और फलकी प्राप्ति होनेपर भी हर्षका अनुभव नहीं करता

Transliteration

ya evaṁ kṛtabuddhiḥ sa karmasv eva pravartate | nāsiddhau vyathate tasya na siddhau harṣam aśnute ||

Translation

Bhīmasena berkata: “Sesiapa yang telah menetapkan tekad demikian dalam budinya lalu menumpukan diri semata-mata pada perbuatan, tidak berdukacita apabila kejayaan tidak tercapai, dan tidak pula meluap gembira apabila kejayaan tercapai. Keteguhannya terletak pada melakukan apa yang wajib dilakukan, tanpa digoncang turun naiknya hasil.”

Word by Word

यःwho

एवम्thus

कृतबुद्धिःone whose resolve/intellect is made (firmly decided)

सःhe

कर्मसुin actions

एवonly/indeed

प्रवर्ततेengages/sets about

नnot

असिद्धौin non-attainment/failure

व्यथतेis distressed

तस्यof him

नnot

सिद्धौin attainment/success

हर्षम्joy

अश्नुतेattains/experiences

Speaker

भीमसेन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīmasena

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches steadiness in duty: act with firm resolve, but do not let the mind be disturbed by failure or inflated by success. Ethical strength is shown by commitment to right action rather than emotional dependence on outcomes.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīmasena is speaking in the Udyoga Parva during the tense lead-up to war, emphasizing a warrior’s and a righteous person’s discipline: focus on necessary action and maintain composure regardless of whether efforts immediately succeed or fail.