Shloka 15

Devanagari script

संजय उवाच एवमुक्तस्तदा कर्णो वासुदेवेन भारत । लज्जयावनतो भूत्वा नोत्तरं किज्चिदुक्तवान्‌,संजय कहते हैं--भारत! उस समय भगवान्‌ श्रीकृष्णके ऐसा कहनेपर कर्णने लज्जासे अपना सिर झुका लिया, उससे कुछ भी उत्तर देते नहीं बना

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca evam uktas tadā karṇo vāsudevena bhārata | lajjayāvanato bhūtvā nottaraṃ kiñcid uktavān ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：噢，婆罗多啊，当婆苏提婆（奎师那）如此对他说时，迦尔那为羞惭所压，低下了头，竟一句答话也说不出来。

Word by Word

संजयःSanjaya

उवाचsaid

एवम्thus

उक्तःhaving been spoken to / addressed

तदाthen

कर्णःKarna

वासुदेवेनby Vasudeva (Krishna)

भारतO Bharata

लज्जयाout of shame / with shame

अवनतःbowed down, with head lowered

भूत्वाhaving become

नnot

उत्तरम्an answer

किञ्चित्anything, at all

उक्तवान्said / spoke

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Karṇa

Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)

Bhārata (Dhṛtarāṣṭra as addressee)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

When ethical truth is pressed upon a person, inner conscience may manifest as shame and silence. The verse highlights accountability: Kṛṣṇa’s words leave Karṇa without a defensible reply, suggesting the weight of dharma even amid wartime loyalties.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that after Kṛṣṇa (Vāsudeva) addresses Karṇa, Karṇa lowers his head in embarrassment and remains silent, unable to respond.