Shloka 38
Devanagari script
प्रशमे हि कृतो यत्न: सुमहान् सुचिरं मया । न चैव शकित: कर्तु कर्ण सत्यं ब्रवीमि ते
Transliteration
praśame hi kṛto yatnaḥ sumahān suciraṃ mayā | na caiva śakitaḥ kartuṃ karṇa satyaṃ bravīmi te ||
Translation
కర్ణా! నీకు నేను సత్యమే చెబుతున్నాను. శాంతి కోసం నేను దీర్ఘకాలం మహత్తర ప్రయత్నం చేశాను; కానీ దాన్ని సాధించలేకపోయాను.
Word by Word
प्रशमेin/for peace (pacification)
प्रशमे:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootप्रशम
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular
हिindeed/for
हि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि
कृतःdone/made
कृतः:
TypeVerb
Rootकृ
Formक्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular
यत्नःeffort
यत्नः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootयत्न
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
सुमहान्very great
सुमहान्:
TypeAdjective
Rootसुमहत्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
सुचिरम्for a long time
सुचिरम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसुचिर
मयाby me
मया:
Karana
TypePronoun
Rootअस्मद्
FormInstrumental, Singular
नnot
न:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन
चand
च:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच
एवindeed/just
एव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव
शकितःable (having been able)
शकितः:
TypeVerb
Rootशक्
Formक्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular
कर्तुम्to do
कर्तुम्:
TypeVerb
Rootकृ
Formतुमुन् (infinitive)
कर्णO Karna
कर्ण:
TypeNoun
Rootकर्ण
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
सत्यम्truth
सत्यम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootसत्य
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
ब्रवीमिI say/speak
ब्रवीमि:
TypeVerb
Rootब्रू
FormPresent (Lat), 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada
तेto you
ते:
Sampradana
TypePronoun
Rootयुष्मद्
FormDative, Singular
कर्णO Karna
कर्ण:
TypeNoun
Rootकर्ण
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
Speaker
भीष्म उवाच
Characters & Entities
B
BhīṣmaK
KarṇaCharacter Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
Even sustained and sincere efforts toward peace may fail when conditions and wills are opposed; nevertheless, one must uphold satya (truthfulness) and acknowledge reality without self-deception.
Bhīṣma addresses Karṇa directly, confessing that he long strove mightily to establish peace but could not succeed, and he emphasizes that he is speaking the truth to Karṇa.