Shloka 3

Devanagari script

कि नु तज्जपतां श्रेष्ठ कर्ण प्रति महद्‌ भयम्‌ । आसीज्न च स धर्मात्मा कथयामास कस्यचित्‌

Transliteration

ki nu taj japatāṃ śreṣṭha karṇa prati mahad bhayam | āsīj na ca sa dharmātmā kathayāmāsa kasyacit ||

Translation

阇那美阇耶问道：“噢，诵持圣典者中最上者，那关于迦尔纳的大恐惧究竟是什么？那位具法之心的人为何不向任何人吐露？”

Word by Word

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: neuter, nominative/accusative, singular

• नु: indeed/then (interrogative particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नु

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: neuter, nominative/accusative, singular

• जपताम्: of those who are muttering/reciting (prayers)
• Type: Verb-derived (participle)
• Root: जप्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), masculine/neuter (contextual), genitive, plural

• श्रेष्ठ: O best (one)
• Type: Noun (vocative use)
• Root: श्रेष्ठ
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• कर्ण: O Karna
• Type: Noun (proper name)
• Root: कर्ण
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• प्रति: towards/with regard to
• Type: Indeclinable (preposition)
• Root: प्रति

• महत्: great
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: neuter, nominative/accusative, singular

• भयम्: fear
• भयम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय
• Form: neuter, nominative/accusative, singular

• आसीत्: was
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, singular, parasmaipada

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

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• धर्मात्मा: righteous-souled (man)
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: धर्मात्मन्
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• कथयामास: told/related
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ्
• Form: perfect periphrastic (लिट्), 3rd, singular, parasmaipada

• कस्यचित्: of someone/of a certain (person)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, singular

Speaker

जनमेजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Janamejaya
• Karṇa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights ethical restraint and discernment in speech: even a dharmic person may withhold grave information when disclosure could be improper, harmful, or untimely, prompting reflection on when truth should be spoken and when silence serves dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the frame dialogue, King Janamejaya questions the narrator about a previously mentioned “great fear” connected to Karṇa and asks why a righteous individual kept it undisclosed, setting up an explanation of the background and motives.