Shloka 42

Adhyāya 36: Ghora-yuddha-varṇanam

A Clinical Description of the Intensified Engagement

Devanagari script

कर्ण उवाच भवतु भवतु कि विकत्थसे ननु मम तस्य हि युद्धमुद्यतम्‌ । यदि स जयति मामिहाहवे तत इदमस्तु सुकत्थितं तव

Transliteration

Karṇa uvāca: bhavatu bhavatu, kiṁ vikatthase? nanu mama tasya hi yuddham udyatam. yadi sa jayati mām ihāhave, tata idam astu sukatthitaṁ tava.

Translation

迦尔纳说道：“罢了，罢了——你何必如此夸口？无论如何，他与我之间的决战已迫在眉睫。若他在此战场上胜过我，那么你这般高声夸言，才算名副其实。”

Word by Word

• कर्णः: Karna
• कर्णः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), 3rd, Singular

• भवतु: let it be
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Imperative, 3rd, Singular

• भवतु: let it be
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Imperative, 3rd, Singular

• किम्: why/what
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम्

• विकत्थसे: do you boast
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + कथ्
• Form: Present, 2nd, Singular, Atmanepada

• ननु: indeed/surely
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ननु

• मम: of me/my
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• तस्य: of him/of that (man)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• युद्धम्: battle
• युद्धम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• उद्यतम्: raised/ready/undertaken
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद् + यत्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular, kta (past passive participle)

• यदि: if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• जयति: conquers/defeats
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

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

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह

• आहवे: in battle
• आहवे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहव
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• ततः: then/thereupon
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• अस्तु: let it be
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Imperative, 3rd, Singular

• सुकत्थितम्: well-spoken/well-boasted (i.e., justified)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + कथ्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular, kta (past passive participle)

• तव: of you/your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Karna
• Arjuna

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Karna rejects empty boasting and grounds honor in verifiable action: claims about superiority are meaningful only if proven in the actual test of battle.

What is happening in the narrative?

Amid the imminent Karna–Arjuna confrontation, Karna silences a companion’s excessive bragging, saying the outcome of the duel will decide whether such words deserve credit.