गान्धार्या सह रोदन्त्यः श्वगृध्रकुरराकुले ॥
स यज्ञे ऽस्मिन्न् अवभृथो भविष्यति जनार्दन ॥
विद्यावृद्धा वयोवृद्धाः क्षत्रियाः क्षत्रियर्षभ ॥
वृथामृत्युं न कुर्वीरंस् त्वत्कृते मधुसूदन ॥
शस्त्रेण निधनं गच्छेत् समृद्धं क्षत्रमण्डलम् ॥
कुरुक्षेत्रे पुण्यतमे त्रैलोक्यस्यापि केशव ॥
तद् अत्र पुण्डरीकाक्ष विधत्स्व यद् अभीप्सितम् ॥
यथा कार्त्स्न्येन वार्ष्णेय क्षत्रं स्वर्गम् अवाप्नुयात् ॥
यावत् स्थास्यन्ति गिरयः सरितश् च जनार्दन ॥
तावत् कीर्तिभवः शब्दः शाश्वतो ऽयं भविष्यति ॥
gāndhāryā saha rodantyaḥ śvagṛdhrakurarākule ||
sa yajñe 'sminn avabhṛtho bhaviṣyati janārdana ||
vidyāvṛddhā vayovṛddhāḥ kṣatriyāḥ kṣatriyarṣabha ||
vṛthāmṛtyuṃ na kurvīraṃs tvatkṛte madhusūdana ||
śastreṇa nidhanaṃ gacchet samṛddhaṃ kṣatramaṇḍalam ||
kurukṣetre puṇyatame trailokyasyāpi keśava ||
tad atra puṇḍarīkākṣa vidhatsva yad abhīpsitam ||
yathā kārtsnyena vārṣṇeya kṣatraṃ svargam avāpnuyāt ||
yāvat sthāsyanti girayaḥ saritaś ca janārdana ||
tāvat kīrtibhavaḥ śabdaḥ śāśvato 'yaṃ bhaviṣyati ||
'...will weep together with Gandhari on a field swarming with dogs, vultures, and kites; that, O Janardana, will be the concluding bath of this sacrifice. Let the kshatriyas, elders in knowledge and in years, O best of kshatriyas, not meet a futile death for your sake, O Madhusudana. Let the flourishing host of kshatriyas meet death by the sword on the most sacred Kurukshetra, holy even to the three worlds, O Keshava. Arrange here, O lotus-eyed one, what is desired, so that the warrior host entire may attain heaven, O descendant of Vrishni. As long as the mountains stand and the rivers flow, O Janardana, so long will this tale, born of glory, remain eternal.'
e7a492b653f2 · 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 renounce his debt of gratitude to those who raised and supported him. His image of the war as a sacrifice shows that he already experiences the battle as an inevitable, sacred and terrible reckoning for choices already made.