Shloka 5

कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ५७

Arjuna’s targeted advance; Śalya–Karṇa dialogue; interception attempts

Devanagari script

त्रिभागश्नावशिष्टोडयं दिवसस्य जनार्दन । नच मां धार्तराष्ट्रेषु कच्चिद्‌ युध्यति संयुगे

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

tribhāgaś cāvaśiṣṭo 'yaṃ divasasya janārdana |

na ca māṃ dhārtarāṣṭreṣu kaścid yudhyati saṃyuge ||

Translation

Sañjaya nói: “Hỡi Janārdana, hôm nay chỉ còn lại ba phần của ngày. Thế mà giữa các con trai của Dhṛtarāṣṭra, không ai dám giao chiến với ta nơi trận địa. Sự khước từ đối mặt ấy cho thấy khí phách và bổn phận của kṣatriya đang sụp đổ vào giờ phút quyết định—khi người chiến sĩ phải đứng vững mà chiến đấu, chứ không được rút lui khỏi cuộc tranh đấu chính nghĩa.”

Word by Word

• त्रिभागः: three parts (i.e., three quarters)
• त्रिभागः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + भाग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• अवशिष्टः: remaining
• अवशिष्टः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवशिष्ट (from √शिष्/√शेष् 'to remain')
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उदयम्: rise; (here) the day’s course/portion (intended sense: the day)
• उदयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दिवसस्य: of the day
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवस
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• जनार्दन: O Janārdana (Krishna)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्दन
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Accusative, Singular

• धार्तराष्ट्रेषु: among the Dhārtarāṣṭras (sons/forces of Dhṛtarāṣṭra)
• धार्तराष्ट्रेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धार्तराष्ट्र (patronymic of Dhṛtarāṣṭra)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• कच्चित्: surely? I hope; is it the case that…?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कच्चित्

• युध्यति: fights
• Type: Verb
• Root: √युध्
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• संयुगे: in battle
• संयुगे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संयुग
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Janārdana (Kṛṣṇa)
• Dhārtarāṣṭras (Kauravas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical expectation of steadfastness in one’s duty: in a war context, it criticizes the failure of warriors to uphold kṣatriya-dharma by avoiding engagement when the day is nearing its end.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya addresses Kṛṣṇa (Janārdana), noting that only a short portion of the day remains, yet none from the Kaurava side (Dhārtarāṣṭras) is coming forward to fight him in the ongoing battle.