Mahabharata · 7.3.9–10
॥
Devanāgarī
कर्णो ऽहम् अस्मि भद्रं ते अद्य मा वद भारत ॥
पुण्यया क्षेमया वाचा चक्षुषा चावलोकय ॥
न नूनं सुकृतस्येह फलं कश् चित् समश्नुते ॥
यत्र धर्मपरो वृद्धः शेते भुवि भवान् इह ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
karṇo 'ham asmi bhadraṃ te adya mā vada bhārata ||
puṇyayā kṣemayā vācā cakṣuṣā cāvalokaya ||
na nūnaṃ sukṛtasyeha phalaṃ kaś cit samaśnute ||
yatra dharmaparo vṛddhaḥ śete bhuvi bhavān iha ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
कर्णःkarṇaḥKarna; [I,] Karna
अहम्ahamI; [I] myself
अस्मिasmiam; [here] I am
भद्रम्bhadramblessing; [may there be] blessing
तेteto you; for you
अद्यadyatoday; now
माmāto me; [turn] to me
वदvadaspeak [say]; utter
भारतbhārataO Bharata; O descendant of Bharata
पुण्ययाpuṇyayāwith a blessed [sacred]; holy
क्षेमयाkṣemayāgracious [bringing peace]; kindly
वाचाvācāvoice; word
चक्षुषाcakṣuṣāwith your eye; with your gaze
चcaand; also
अवलोकयavalokayalook [at me]; gaze [upon me]
नnanot; [not] at all
नूनम्nūnamsurely; truly
सुकृतस्यsukṛtasyaof a good deed; [of a] good deed
इहihahere; in this [world]
फलम्phalamfruit; reward
कश् चित्kaś citanyone; no one
समश्नुतेsamaśnuteobtains [tastes]; attains
यत्रyatra[there] where; seeing that
धर्मपरःdharmaparaḥdevoted to dharma; a follower of dharma
वृद्धःvṛddhaḥthe elder; the aged one
शेतेśetelies; reposes
भुविbhuvion the ground; on the earth
भवान्bhavānyou [venerable one]; [you,] lord
इहihahere; there
Translation
[Karna said:] I am Karna; blessings upon you! Turn to me now, O Bharata, with a holy and gracious voice, and look upon me with your eye. Surely no one here tastes the fruit of a good deed, seeing that you, devoted to dharma, aged, lie here upon the ground.
Version
4f56d4db4a78 · published Jul 19, 2026, 2:46:26 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Karna's bitter cry — "no one tastes the fruit of a good deed, seeing that the righteous one lies upon the ground" — is an ancient temptation: to see the suffering of the good and doubt the law of recompense. But appearances deceive: Bhishma's "hero's bed" is not punishment but crowning glory, and the fruit of his dharma lies not here but in his return to the heavenly source. Karna judges by outward appearance, not perceiving that the righteous triumphs even in his fall. The verse teaches that the fruit of goodness is not always shown to the eyes in this world, and that to judge justice by outward outcome is error; that the suffering of the righteous is not a sign of dharma's futility but often its crowning; and that one who begs for a "gracious word and gaze" bears witness, by his very asking, how precious even to an enemy is the grace of a dying saint.