कृतार्थाः सुभृता ये हि कृत्यकाल उपस्थिते ॥
अनवेक्ष्य कृतं पापा विकुर्वन्त्य् अनवस्थिताः ॥
राजकिल्बिषिणां तेषां भर्तृपिण्डापहारिणाम् ॥
नैवायं न परो लोको विद्यते पापकर्मणाम् ॥
धृतराष्ट्रस्य पुत्राणाम् अर्थे योत्स्यामि ते सुतैः ॥
बलं च शक्तिं चास्थाय न वै त्वय्य् अनृतं वदे ॥
आनृशंस्यम् अथो वृत्तं रक्षन् सत्पुरुषोचितम् ॥
अतो ऽर्थकरम् अप्य् एतन् न करोम्य् अद्य ते वचः ॥
न तु ते ऽयं समारम्भो मयि मोघो भविष्यति ॥
वध्यान् विषह्यान् संग्रामे न हनिष्यामि ते सुतान् ॥
युधिष्ठिरं च भीमं च यमौ चैवार्जुनाद् ऋते ॥
kṛtārthāḥ subhṛtā ye hi kṛtyakāla upasthite ||
anavekṣya kṛtaṃ pāpā vikurvanty anavasthitāḥ ||
rājakilbiṣiṇāṃ teṣāṃ bhartṛpiṇḍāpahāriṇām ||
naivāyaṃ na paro loko vidyate pāpakarmaṇām ||
dhṛtarāṣṭrasya putrāṇām arthe yotsyāmi te sutaiḥ ||
balaṃ ca śaktiṃ cāsthāya na vai tvayy anṛtaṃ vade ||
ānṛśaṃsyam atho vṛttaṃ rakṣan satpuruṣocitam ||
ato 'rthakaram apy etan na karomy adya te vacaḥ ||
na tu te 'yaṃ samārambho mayi mogho bhaviṣyati ||
vadhyān viṣahyān saṃgrāme na haniṣyāmi te sutān ||
yudhiṣṭhiraṃ ca bhīmaṃ ca yamau caivārjunād ṛte ||
‘Sinful, unsteady men who, having attained their aim and been generously maintained, turn traitor when the hour of the task arrives, disregarding what was done for them — for such wrongdoers, guilty before their lord and stealing their master’s bread, there exists neither this world nor the next. For the sake of the sons of Dhritarashtra I will fight your sons, relying on my strength and power; before you I speak no falsehood. Guarding gentleness and the conduct befitting a worthy man, I will not do as you ask today, though it would profit me. But this effort of yours toward me shall not be in vain: in battle I will not slay your sons, though they may be vulnerable and could be killed — Yudhishthira, Bhima, and the twins — sparing only Arjuna.’
6bbdddca1a15 · published Jul 17, 2026, 6:17:17 AM UTC
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Karna acknowledges the truth spoken by Kunti and the Sun, but chooses loyalty to those who took him in. His dharma here is tragic: he does not go over to his brothers, yet he gives his mother a genuine promise of mercy, sparing four of the Pandavas from his hand.