तस्माद् रणे द्वैरथे मां प्रत्युद्यातारम् अच्युत ॥
वृतवान् परमं हृष्टः प्रतीपं सव्यसाचिनः ॥
वधाद् बन्धाद् भयाद् वापि लोभाद् वापि जनार्दन ॥
अनृतं नोत्सहे कर्तुं धार्तराष्ट्रस्य धीमतः ॥
यदि ह्य् अद्य न गच्छेयं द्वैरथं सव्यसाचिना ॥
अकीर्तिः स्याद् धृषीकेश मम पार्थस्य चोभयोः ॥
असंशयं हितार्थाय ब्रूयास् त्वं मधुसूदन ॥
सर्वं च पाण्डवाः कुर्युस् त्वद्वशित्वान् न संशयः ॥
मन्त्रस्य नियमं कुर्यास् त्वम् अत्र पुरुषोत्तम ॥
एतद् अत्र हितं मन्ये सर्वयादवनन्दन ॥
tasmād raṇe dvairathe māṃ pratyudyātāram acyuta ||
vṛtavān paramaṃ hṛṣṭaḥ pratīpaṃ savyasācinaḥ ||
vadhād bandhād bhayād vāpi lobhād vāpi janārdana ||
anṛtaṃ notsahe kartuṃ dhārtarāṣṭrasya dhīmataḥ ||
yadi hy adya na gaccheyaṃ dvairathaṃ savyasācinā ||
akīrtiḥ syād dhṛṣīkeśa mama pārthasya cobhayoḥ ||
asaṃśayaṃ hitārthāya brūyās tvaṃ madhusūdana ||
sarvaṃ ca pāṇḍavāḥ kuryus tvadvaśitvān na saṃśayaḥ ||
mantrasya niyamaṃ kuryās tvam atra puruṣottama ||
etad atra hitaṃ manye sarvayādavanandana ||
"Therefore, O Achyuta, he chose me with the greatest joy to stand as his opponent against Savyasachin in the battle, in the chariot duel. Out of fear of death, of captivity, of fear itself, or even out of greed, O Janardana, I cannot bring myself to act falsely toward the wise son of Dhritarashtra. If today I do not go out to the chariot duel with Savyasachin, O Hrishikesha, disgrace will fall upon both me and Arjuna. Without doubt, O Madhusudana, you speak for our good, and the Pandavas will do everything, since they are obedient to you. But, O best of men, keep this counsel secret: this I consider the wisest course here, O joy of all the Yadavas."
c28e9041a931 · published Jul 17, 2026, 5:59:56 AM UTC
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Karna speaks from within a complex dharma: he acknowledges the truth Krishna has revealed, yet does not set aside his debt of gratitude to those who raised and sustained him. His image of the war as a sacrifice shows that the battle is already being lived by him as an inevitable, sacred and terrible reckoning for choices made long ago.