Mahabharata — Karna Parva, Shloka 11
धर्मरहस्योपदेशः
Dharma-rahasya Instruction: Vows, Truth, and Non-injury
हन्तास्म्यद्य रणे कर्ण स वा मां निहनिष्यति । संग्रामेण सुघोरेण सत्यमेतद् ब्रवीमि ते
hantāsmy adya raṇe karṇa sa vā māṁ nihaniṣyati | saṅgrāmeṇa sughoreṇa satyam etad bravīmi te ||
Sañjaya said: “Today, on the field of battle, I shall surely slay Karṇa—or he will slay me. In a most dreadful combat, one of us will fall; this I tell you in truth.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights uncompromising resolve in a righteous-or-wrongful conflict while insisting on satya (truthfulness): the speaker openly states the intended course and accepts the reciprocal risk. Ethically, it underscores accountability—declaring one’s intent and facing the consequences of violence without self-deception.
Sañjaya reports a warrior’s grim determination regarding Karṇa: a decisive duel is imminent, described as sughora (terrible). The statement forecasts that the coming encounter will end with one killing the other, emphasizing the fatal intensity of the battle.