Shloka 28

Karna Reproves Shalya; Brahmin Reports on Bāhlīkas; Shalya’s Universalizing Rebuttal (कर्ण–शल्य संवादः)

Devanagari script

संजय उवाच राजन पूर्वनिमित्तानि धर्मिष्ठानि विचिन्तय

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | rājan pūrvanimittāni dharmiṣṭhāni vicintaya | yo hi bhūtaprakāśe 'rthe paścāc cintayate naraḥ | tasya tat karma naiva syāt cintayā caiva naśyati ||

Translation

Disse Sañjaya: “Ó Rei, reflete sobre as causas anteriores—sobre aquelas considerações que outrora apresentaste como as mais de acordo com o dharma. Pois o homem que, depois, se consome a pensar no que já aconteceu não faz com que tal feito se cumpra de novo (nem se desfaça); com essa aflição, ele apenas arruína a si mesmo.”

Word by Word

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

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• पूर्व-निमित्तानि: former causes/grounds
• पूर्व-निमित्तानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: निमित्त
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• धर्मिष्ठानि: most righteous; in accordance with dharma
• धर्मिष्ठानि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मिष्ठ
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• विचिन्तय: consider; reflect upon
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त्
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Sañjaya urges the king to ground his mind in dharmic reasoning and to stop destructive brooding over what is already done; anxiety about the past cannot undo events and instead harms the person who clings to it.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the midst of the war reports, Sañjaya addresses Dhṛtarāṣṭra, reminding him of the earlier ‘causes’ and justifications he had entertained (such as the dice-game and related decisions) and cautions him that lamenting after the fact will not change outcomes, only weaken him.