Mahabharata — Karna Parva, Shloka 2

Adhyāya 8: Saṃprahāra-varṇana and Bhīma–Kṣemadhūrti Dvipa-Yuddha

Combat Description and Elephant Duel

Devanagari script

प्राप्तवान्‌ परम दु:खं पुत्रव्यसनजं महत्‌ । तस्मिन्‌ यदुक्तवान्‌ काले तन्ममाचश्वच पृच्छत:

Transliteration

prāptavān parama-duḥkhaṃ putra-vyasana-jaṃ mahat | tasmin yad uktavān kāle tan mamācakṣva pṛcchataḥ ||

Translation

Sinabi ni Janamejaya: “Si Dhṛtarāṣṭra ay nilamon ng pinakamalalim na pighati—isang matinding dalamhating isinilang ng kapahamakan ng kanyang mga anak. Anuman ang kanyang sinabi noon, isalaysay mo sa akin, sapagkat hinihiling kong marinig iyon.”

Word by Word

• प्राप्तवान्: having obtained / attained
• प्राप्तवान्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्राप् (धातु)
• Form: भूत (कृत्-प्रयोगः), क्तवतुँ, पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• परम्: supreme, very great
• परम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• दुःखम्: sorrow, grief
• दुःखम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पुत्रव्यसनजम्: arising from the calamity concerning (one's) sons
• पुत्रव्यसनजम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुत्रव्यसनज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• महत्: great, huge
• महत्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तस्मिन्: in that (time/situation)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुं, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• यत्: what, which
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• उक्तवान्: having said
• उक्तवान्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: भूत (कृत्-प्रयोगः), क्तवतुँ, पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• काले: at the time
• काले: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• मम: of me / my
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन, त्रिलिङ्ग

• आचश्व: tell (me), declare
• Type: Verb
• Root: चक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्, मध्यम, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• पृच्छतः: of (me) asking / while (I am) asking
• Type: Verb
• Root: पृच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (वर्तमान-कृदन्त), पुं, षष्ठी, एकवचन

Speaker

जनमेजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Janamejaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra's sons (the Kauravas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds the moral weight of consequences: the catastrophic end of Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons culminates in overwhelming grief, implying that attachment, partiality, and adharma in governance and counsel can ripen into irreversible suffering. It also highlights the dharmic method of learning—humble inquiry and faithful narration.

What is happening in the narrative?

Janamejaya, continuing his questioning, asks the narrator to recount what Dhṛtarāṣṭra said at the moment he was struck by immense sorrow due to the destruction of his sons in the war.