Shloka 12

Śalya Appointed as Karṇa’s Sārathi; Discourse on Praise, Blame, and Beneficial Counsel (कर्णस्य शल्यसारथ्यं तथा स्तवनिन्दाविचारः)

Devanagari script

तमब्रवीत्ततो यन्ता कच्चित्‌ क्षेमं तु पार्षत

Transliteration

tam abravīt tato yantā kaccit kṣemaṃ tu pārṣata

Translation

پھر رتھ بان نے اس سے کہا—“اے پارشَت، کیا سب خیریت ہے؟”

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अब्रवीत्: said/spoke
• अब्रवीत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• ततः: then/thereupon
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रभव अव्यय)

• यन्ता: the charioteer
• यन्ता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: यन्तृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कच्चित्: whether indeed? (interrogative particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कच्चित्

• क्षेमम्: welfare/safety
• क्षेमम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेम
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तु: indeed/but
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• पार्षत: O son of Pṛṣata (Dṛṣṭadyumna)
• पार्षत: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्षत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• yantā (charioteer)
• Pārṣata (son of Pṛṣata)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in the violence of war, the text preserves a moral sensibility: asking after another’s kṣema (safety and well-being) reflects the residual ethic of care and responsibility that should not be extinguished by conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports a moment on the battlefield where a charioteer speaks to a warrior addressed as Pārṣata, checking whether he is safe and fit—often a prelude to further action, instruction, or a shift in the combat situation.