Карна
न हि मे युध्यमानस्य सायकांश् चास्यतः शितान् ॥
सैन्धवं प्राप्स्यते वीरः सव्यसाची धनंजयः ॥
यत् तु शक्तिमता कार्यं सततं हितकारिणा ॥
तत् करिष्यामि कौरव्य जयो दैवे प्रतिष्ठितः ॥
अद्य योत्स्ये ऽर्जुनम् अहं पौरुषं स्वं व्यपाश्रितः ॥
त्वदर्थं पुरुषव्याघ्र जयो दैवे प्रतिष्ठितः ॥
अद्य युद्धं कुरुश्रेष्ठ मम पार्थस्य चोभयोः ॥
पश्यन्तु सर्वभूतानि दारुणं लोमहर्षणम् ॥
na hi me yudhyamānasya sāyakāṃś cāsyataḥ śitān ||
saindhavaṃ prāpsyate vīraḥ savyasācī dhanaṃjayaḥ ||
yat tu śaktimatā kāryaṃ satataṃ hitakāriṇā ||
tat kariṣyāmi kauravya jayo daive pratiṣṭhitaḥ ||
adya yotsye 'rjunam ahaṃ pauruṣaṃ svaṃ vyapāśritaḥ ||
tvadarthaṃ puruṣavyāghra jayo daive pratiṣṭhitaḥ ||
adya yuddhaṃ kuruśreṣṭha mama pārthasya cobhayoḥ ||
paśyantu sarvabhūtāni dāruṇaṃ lomaharṣaṇam ||
"For while I fight and loose sharp arrows, will the hero Savyasachin Dhananjaya reach Saindhava at all? But whatever must be done by one who is able and ever wishes well, that I shall do, Kauravya; victory rests in fate. Today I shall fight Arjuna, relying on my own manhood, for your sake, tiger-among-men; victory rests in fate. Today, best of the Kurus, let all beings behold the battle of me and Partha, both together — dreadful, the kind that makes the hair stand on end."
533d23215656 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:25:13 PM UTC
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Karna promises his utmost effort, yet twice repeats: "victory rests in fate." It is telling how sober this resignation is — he will do everything within his power, but the outcome is not his to command. The verse teaches the wise division: effort is our duty, the fruit is not in our hands; and one who exerts all his strength without claiming the outcome for himself acts righteously, for he does what is right without presuming to rule over fate.