Shloka 4

Devanagari script

वनवासे व्यतीते च कर्ण वर्षे त्रयोदशे । न प्रयच्छसि यद्‌ राज्यं क्व ते धर्मस्तदा गत:

Transliteration

vanavāse vyatīte ca karṇa varṣe trayodaśe | na prayacchasi yad rājyaṃ kva te dharmas tadā gataḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya nói: “Hỡi Karṇa, dẫu thời hạn lưu đày đã qua và năm thứ mười ba đã trọn, khi ngươi vẫn không hoàn trả vương quốc cho các Pāṇḍava—thì lúc ấy dharma của ngươi đã đi đâu?”

Word by Word

• वनवासे: in the forest-dwelling (exile)
• वनवासे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वनवास
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• व्यतीते: having passed / when (it) had elapsed
• व्यतीते: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√इ (व्येति) / व्यतीत
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular, Past passive participle (kta), used locatively with 'वनवासे'

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

• कर्ण: O Karna
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• वर्षे: in the year
• वर्षे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• त्रयोदशे: thirteenth
• त्रयोदशे: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रयोदश
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

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

• प्रयच्छसि: you give / you grant
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√यम् (यच्छति)
• Form: Present, Indicative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• यत्: which / that (which)
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• राज्यम्: kingdom
• राज्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• क्व: where?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व

• ते: your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular, Second

• धर्मः: dharma / righteousness
• धर्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तदा: then / at that time
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• गतः: gone
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् / गत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, Past active participle (kta)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• संजय (Sañjaya)
• कर्ण (Karṇa)
• पाण्डव (Pāṇḍavas)
• राज्य (kingdom)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is tested at the moment one has the power to act justly. The verse frames a moral indictment: refusing to return the Pāṇḍavas’ rightful kingdom after the agreed exile reveals a collapse of righteousness, regardless of later claims of honor or duty in war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya addresses Karṇa with a pointed rhetorical question. He recalls the completion of the Pāṇḍavas’ exile (including the thirteenth year) and challenges Karṇa’s moral standing for supporting the refusal to restore their kingdom, thereby highlighting the ethical roots of the ensuing conflict.