Shloka 46

Aśvatthāman’s Arrow-Screen and the Confrontation with Yudhiṣṭhira (द्रौणि–युधिष्ठिर-संग्रामः)

Devanagari script

तदर्थे हि मम प्राणा यच्च मे विद्यते वसु । व्यक्त त्वमप्युपहितः पाण्डवै: पापदेशज

Transliteration

tadarthe hi mama prāṇā yac ca me vidyate vasu | vyakta tvam apy upahitaḥ pāṇḍavaiḥ pāpadeśaja ||

Translation

“正为此事，我的性命之息已然许下，我所有的财物亦复如是。显然你也被安插在此——由般度五子所置，罪地之人啊。”

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अर्थे: for the sake/purpose
• अर्थे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

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

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

• प्राणाः: life-breaths; lives
• प्राणाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• यत्: whatever/that which
• यत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

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

• मे: of me/to me (my)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• विद्यते: exists/is found
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (विद्+य, आत्मनेपद; ‘to exist/be found’)
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada

• वसु: wealth/treasure
• वसु: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसु
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• व्यक्तः: manifest/clearly known
• व्यक्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यक्त (ppp of √व्यञ्ज्/√व्यज् ‘to manifest’)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Nominative, Singular

• अपि: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• उपहितः: bestowed/provided; placed at hand
• उपहितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उपहित (ppp of उप-√धा ‘to place near; to provide/offer’)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पाण्डवैः: by the Pandavas
• पाण्डवैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• पाप-देशज: O one born in an evil land/of base origin
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप + देशज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Karna
• Pāṇḍavas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the warrior-ethic of staking one’s very life and wealth for a chosen cause, while also showing how anger and suspicion can turn speech into moral injury through contemptuous labeling and dehumanizing insult.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna, speaking in the midst of the Kurukṣetra conflict, declares total commitment—life and resources—for his objective, and then accuses his interlocutor of being a Pāṇḍava-planted agent, intensifying the confrontation with a cutting insult about the person’s origin.