Shloka 3

Devanagari script

तत्र वै पौरुषं ब्रूयुरासेकं यत्र कारितम्‌

Transliteration

tatra vai pauruṣaṁ brūyur āsekaṁ yatra kāritam

Translation

“Trong việc ấy, người đời gọi là nỗ lực nam nhi chính ở chỗ đã thực sự làm cho kết quả thành tựu; chỉ ý định hay lời nói suông không được kể là dũng khí, nếu không được hiện thực hóa bằng hành động.”

Word by Word

• तत्र: there; in that place/context
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• वै: indeed; surely (emphatic particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• पौरुषम्: manly effort; valor; human exertion
• पौरुषम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौरुष
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ब्रूयुः: they should say; one should call
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (ब्रवीति)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• आसेकम्: sprinkling; pouring; irrigation
• आसेकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आसेक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र

• कारितम्: caused to be done; made; effected
• Type: Verb
• Root: कारित (कृ धातोः णिच्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

Speaker

अर्जुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Valor (pauruṣa) is measured by effective action—by actually bringing about what one undertakes—rather than by mere resolve, speech, or self-assertion. Ethical worth here is tied to responsibility for outcomes and the courage to translate intent into deed.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna is speaking in the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, emphasizing a practical standard for heroism: people recognize true effort where a deed has been made to happen. The line supports a broader argument about decisive conduct in a dharma-charged crisis.