Shloka 10

Devanagari script

इदं त्वमनुजानीहि सुरश्रेष्ठ ब्रतं मम । भिक्षते वज्िणे दद्यामपि जीवितमात्मन:,सुरश्रेष्ठ! यह जो मेरा दान देनेका व्रत है, उसके लिये आप भी मुझे आज्ञा दीजिये, जिससे मैं याचक बनकर आये हुए इन्द्रको अपने प्राणतक दे सकूँ

Transliteration

idaṃ tvam anujānīhi suraśreṣṭha vrataṃ mama | bhikṣate vajriṇe dadyām api jīvitam ātmanaḥ ||

Translation

Karna sprach: „O Bester der Götter, gewähre mir die Erlaubnis zu diesem meinem Gelübde. Wenn der Träger des Donnerkeils (Indra) als Bittender kommt, würde ich ihm sogar mein eigenes Leben geben.“

Word by Word

इदम्this (vow/thing)

त्वम्you

अनुजानीहिpermit, give leave

सुरश्रेष्ठO best of the gods

व्रतम्vow, observance

ममof me, my

भिक्षतेbegs, asks

वज्रिणेto the wielder of the thunderbolt (Indra)

दद्याम्I would give / may I give

अपिeven, also

जीवितम्life

आत्मनःof myself

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

Karna

Indra (Vajrin, Suraśreṣṭha)

Vajra (thunderbolt)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dāna-dharma as a vow-like ethical identity: true generosity is tested when giving becomes personally costly. Karna presents steadfast giving—without calculating advantage—as a form of honor and moral consistency.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna addresses Indra (called Suraśreṣṭha and Vajrin), asking him to sanction Karna’s charitable vow. He declares that if Indra approaches in the guise of a beggar, Karna is prepared to give even his own life—foreshadowing Indra’s attempt to obtain Karna’s protective boon (his natural armor/earrings) before the Kurukṣetra war.