Shloka 33
कर्णेन सैन्यस्थापनं तथा नानायुद्धसमवायः
Karna Reforms the Host and Multiple Duels Converge
अग्नि आदि देवता पूर्वदिशाका आश्रय लेकर रहते हैं, पितर पुण्यकर्मा यमराजके द्वारा सुरक्षित दक्षिण दिशामें निवास करते हैं, बलवान् वरुण देवताओंका पालन करते हुए पश्चिम दिशाकी रक्षामें तत्पर रहते हैं और भगवान् सोम ब्राह्मणोंके साथ उत्तर दिशाकी रक्षा करते हैं।। तथा रक्ष:पिशाचाश्न हिमवन्तं नगोत्तमम् | गुहुका श्व महाराज पर्वतं गन्धमादनम्
agni-ādayo devatāḥ pūrva-diśam āśritya tiṣṭhanti | pitaraḥ puṇya-karmāṇaḥ yama-rājena parirakṣitā dakṣiṇa-diśi nivasantīti | balavān varuṇaḥ devatāḥ pālayan paścima-diśaḥ rakṣāyāṃ tatparaḥ | bhagavān somaḥ brāhmaṇaiḥ saha uttara-diśaṃ rakṣati || tathā rakṣaḥ-piśācāś ca himavantaṃ nagottamam | guhyakāś ca mahārāja parvataṃ gandhamādanam ||
Karna said: “Agni and the other gods take their station in the eastern quarter. The Pitṛs, whose deeds are meritorious, dwell in the southern quarter under the protection of King Yama. Mighty Varuṇa, upholding the gods, remains intent on guarding the western quarter. And the blessed Soma, together with the Brāhmaṇas, protects the northern quarter. Likewise, O great king, the Himavant—the best of mountains—is associated with hosts of Rākṣasas and Piśācas, and the mountain Gandhamādana with the Guhyakas.”
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents a dharmic vision of ordered guardianship: each quarter of space is protected by specific divine powers, implying that protection, duty, and cosmic order (ṛta/dharma) are structured and upheld by designated guardians.
Karna describes the divine and semi-divine beings associated with the four directions and certain great mountains, mapping a sacred geography in which gods guard the quarters while other classes of beings are linked with Himavant and Gandhamādana.