Shloka 4

कर्ण–कृष्णसंवादः (Karṇa–Kṛṣṇa-saṃvādaḥ) — Karṇa’s Statement on Lineage, Loyalty, and the ‘Śastra-yajña’ Metaphor

Devanagari script

संजय उवाच आनुपूर्व्येण वाक्यानि तीक्ष्णानि च मृदूनि च । प्रियाणि धर्मयुक्तानि सत्यानि च हितानि च,संजय बोले--भारत! अप्रमेयस्वरूप मधुसूदन श्रीकृष्णने राधानन्दन कर्णसे जो तीक्षण, मधुर, प्रिय, धर्मसम्मत, सत्य, हितकर एवं हृदयग्राह्म बातें क्रमश: कही थीं, उन सबको आप मुझसे सुनिये

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca ānupūrvyeṇa vākyāni tīkṣṇāni ca mṛdūni ca | priyāṇi dharmayuktāni satyāni ca hitāni ca ||

Translation

சஞ்சயன் சொன்னான்— “வரிசையாக அவர் சில நேரம் கடுமையாகவும் சில நேரம் மென்மையாகவும் பேசினார்; அவை இனிமையானவை, தர்மத்தோடு பொருந்தியவை, உண்மையானவை, நன்மை தருவன. அவர் சொன்ன அனைத்தையும் என்னிடமிருந்து கேளுங்கள்.”

Word by Word

संजयःSanjaya

उवाचsaid

आनुपूर्व्येणin due order / sequentially

वाक्यानिwords; statements

तीक्ष्णानिsharp; harsh

चand

मृदूनिsoft; gentle

चand

प्रियाणिpleasing; dear

धर्मयुक्तानिconnected with dharma; righteous

सत्यानिtrue

चand

हितानिbeneficial; salutary

चand

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sanjaya

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Speech should be ethically grounded: even when it must be sharp, it should remain truthful, dharma-aligned, and aimed at welfare (hita), not harm.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya introduces a forthcoming report of a speaker’s counsel, emphasizing that the words were delivered in a deliberate sequence and combined sternness with gentleness while remaining pleasing, righteous, true, and beneficial.