Shloka 5

अर्जुनकर्णयोर्युद्धवर्णनम्

Description of the Arjuna–Karṇa Engagement and Counsel to Duryodhana

Devanagari script

अर्जन उवाच तस्माद्‌ भवान्‌ शीघ्रमित: प्रयातु राज्: प्रवृत््यै कुरुसत्तमस्य । नूनं स विद्धोडतिभशं पृषत्कै: कर्णेन राजा शिबिरं गतोडसौ,अर्जुन बोले--यदि ऐसी बात है तो आप कुरुश्रेष्ठ राजा युधिष्ठिरका समाचार लानेके लिये शीघ्र ही यहाँसे जायेँ। निश्चय ही कर्णके बाणोंसे अत्यन्त घायल होकर राजा शिविरमें चले गये हैं

Transliteration

arjuna uvāca

tasmād bhavān śīghram itaḥ prayātu rājñaḥ pravṛttyai kurusattamasya |

nūnaṃ sa viddho 'tibhṛśaṃ pṛṣatkaiḥ karṇena rājā śibiraṃ gato 'sau ||

Translation

Arjuna nói: “Vậy thì ngươi hãy mau rời khỏi đây để đem tin tức về đức vua ưu tú nhất nhà Kuru. Chắc hẳn nhà vua—bị mũi tên Karṇa đâm xuyên, trọng thương—đã trở về doanh trại.”

Word by Word

• {'tasmāt': 'therefore

• for that reason', 'bhavān': 'you (honorific)', 'śīghram': 'quickly

• without delay', 'itaḥ': 'from here', 'prayātu': 'may (you) go

• depart (imperative/benedictive)', 'rājñaḥ': 'of the king', 'pravṛtti': 'news

• state of affairs', 'kurusattama': 'best among the Kurus (honorific epithet, here for Yudhiṣṭhira)', 'nūnam': 'surely

• indeed', 'saḥ': 'he', 'viddhaḥ': 'pierced

• wounded', 'atibhṛśam': 'exceedingly

• severely', 'pṛṣatkaiḥ': 'by arrows (lit. ‘spotted/variegated missiles’

• common poetic term for arrows)', 'karṇena': 'by Karṇa (instrumental)', 'rājā': 'the king', 'śibiram': 'camp

• military encampment', 'gataḥ': 'gone

• returned', 'asau': 'that (person), he'}

Speaker

अर्जन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Karṇa
• Śibira (camp)
• Arrows (pṛṣatka)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

In the midst of war, Arjuna emphasizes responsible action: obtain accurate information about the leader’s condition and respond swiftly. The verse highlights disciplined urgency and concern for the king’s welfare—an aspect of kṣatriya duty and battlefield ethics.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna instructs someone (a messenger/attendant) to leave immediately and bring a report about King Yudhiṣṭhira. Arjuna infers that Yudhiṣṭhira has been severely wounded by Karṇa’s arrows and has returned to the military camp.