Shloka 78

Devanagari script

भवन्ति पुरुषव्याप्र नाविका: कालपर्यये । तथा कर्ण समासाद्य तावका: पुरुषर्षभ

Transliteration

bhavanti puruṣavyāprā nāvikāḥ kālaparyaye | tathā karṇa samāsādya tāvakāḥ puruṣarṣabha ||

Translation

Санджая сказал: «В решающий перелом времени лодочники становятся особенно деятельными и бдительными. Так же и ты, о Карна, бык среди людей: едва они столкнулись с Карной, твои воины тоже вспыхнули могучим рвением и пришли в движение.»

Word by Word

• भवन्ति: become/are
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Lat (Present), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• पुरुषव्याप्राः: manly/energetic (lit. having पुरुष-व्यापार)
• पुरुषव्याप्राः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरुषव्याप्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• नाविकाः: boatmen/sailors
• नाविकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाविक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• कालपर्यये: at the turn/change of time (in a crisis)
• कालपर्यये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालपर्यय
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• तथा: so/likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• कर्ण: O Karna
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• समासाद्य: having approached/reached
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√सद्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Active

• तावकाः: your (men)/belonging to you
• तावकाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तावक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पुरुषर्षभ: O bull among men
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुषर्षभ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Karna
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by address puruṣarṣabha)
• Kauravas (tāvakāḥ)
• boatmen (nāvikāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how decisive moments (kāla-paryaya) awaken heightened effort: just as boatmen become most vigilant in dangerous crossings, warriors intensify their resolve when rallied around a capable leader like Karṇa.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Kaurava forces, upon reaching and aligning with Karṇa, became vigorously active—suggesting a surge of confidence and coordinated action under Karṇa’s presence.