एवं गते ऽपि शक्यो ऽयं हन्तुं नान्येन केन चित् ॥
ऋते त्वा पुरुषव्याघ्र शपे सत्येन चानघ ॥
ब्रह्मण्यः सत्यवादी च तपस्वी नियतव्रतः ॥
रिपुष्व् अपि दयावांश् च तस्मात् कर्णो वृषा स्मृतः ॥
युद्धशौण्डो महाबाहुर् नित्योद्यतशरासनः ॥
केसरीव वने मर्दन् मत्तमातङ्गयूथपान् ॥
विमदान् रथशार्दूलान् कुरुते रणमूर्धनि ॥
मध्यंगत इवादित्यो यो न शक्यो निरीक्षितुम् ॥
त्वदीयैः पुरुषव्याघ्र योधमुख्यैर् महात्मभिः ॥
शरजालसहस्रांशुः शरदीव दिवाकरः ॥
evaṃ gate 'pi śakyo 'yaṃ hantuṃ nānyena kena cit ||
ṛte tvā puruṣavyāghra śape satyena cānagha ||
brahmaṇyaḥ satyavādī ca tapasvī niyatavrataḥ ||
ripuṣv api dayāvāṃś ca tasmāt karṇo vṛṣā smṛtaḥ ||
yuddhaśauṇḍo mahābāhur nityodyataśarāsanaḥ ||
kesarīva vane mardan mattamātaṅgayūthapān ||
vimadān rathaśārdūlān kurute raṇamūrdhani ||
madhyaṃgata ivādityo yo na śakyo nirīkṣitum ||
tvadīyaiḥ puruṣavyāghra yodhamukhyair mahātmabhiḥ ||
śarajālasahasrāṃśuḥ śaradīva divākaraḥ ||
"And even so, he cannot be slain by anyone else except by you, O tiger among men -- I swear by truth, O sinless one. Devoted to brahmins and truthful, an ascetic, firm in his vow, and merciful even to enemies -- therefore Karna is called 'Bull' [Vrisha]. Intoxicated with battle, mighty-armed, with ever-raised bow, like a lion in the forest crushing the leaders of frenzied elephants, [thus he] strips the tiger-warriors of their pride in the forefront of battle. Like the sun at zenith, at whom one cannot even look..."
27b1bd25e934 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:58:11 PM UTC
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Krishna, preparing Karna's death, offers him the highest praise: truthful, an ascetic, merciful even to enemies -- "Vrisha," an embodiment of virtue. It is significant that the Lord honors the nobility of the one who must be slain. The verse teaches that the tragedy is not a struggle of good against evil, but that even on the side of untruth stands a man of high soul; and Karna's greatness makes his death not a triumph but a sorrow -- even for those who contrive it.