Shloka 55

Devanagari script

सत्यं ते प्रतिजानामि हतं विद्ध्यद्य सूतजम्‌ । यस्येच्छसि वधं तस्य गतमप्यस्य जीवितम्‌

Transliteration

satyaṁ te pratijānāmi hataṁ viddhy adya sūtajam | yasyecchasi vadhaṁ tasya gatam apy asya jīvitam ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：“我以真实向你起誓——当知今日那御者之子已被诛杀。你所渴望其死的那人——他的性命也早已离去。”

Word by Word

• सत्यम्: truth (as object: truly)
• सत्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Dative, Singular

• प्रतिजानामि: I promise / I vow
• प्रतिजानामि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-ज्ञा
• Form: Present, First, Singular, Parasmaipada

• हतम्: slain
• हतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन्
• Form: Past Passive Participle (क्त), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• विद्धि: know (you)
• विद्धि: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद्
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अद्य: today
• अद्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य

• सूतजम्: the charioteer’s son (Karna)
• सूतजम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूतज
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• यस्य: of whom / whose
• यस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• इच्छसि: you desire
• इच्छसि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्
• Form: Present, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• वधम्: slaying / death
• वधम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तस्य: of him / of that one
• तस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• गतम्: gone / departed / finished
• गतम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम्
• Form: Past Passive Participle (क्त), Neuter, Nominative, Singular

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

• अस्य: of this one / of him
• अस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• जीवितम्: life
• जीवितम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीवित
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• संजय (Sañjaya)
• सूतज (Sūtaja—Karṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds satya (truthfulness) and the moral weight of a solemn assurance: Sañjaya commits to truthful reporting even amid war’s chaos, underscoring that dharma includes fidelity to truth and responsibility in speech.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya announces to his listener that the ‘sūtaja’ (Karṇa) has been killed that day, stating that the very person whose death is desired has already lost his life—marking a decisive turn in the war’s fortunes and intensifying the emotional and ethical stakes.