Shloka 22
यथाद्य समरे कर्ण हनिष्यामि हतो5पि वा । महीतले पतिष्यामि सत्येनायुधमालभे
sañjaya uvāca | yathādya samare karṇa haniṣyāmi hato 'pi vā | mahītale patiṣyāmi satyenāyudham ālabhe ||
Sañjaya dijo: “(Arjuna declaró:) ‘Aunque yo mismo sea muerto, así será: hoy, en la batalla, mataré a Karṇa; o, abatido, caeré sobre la tierra. Por la verdad tomo mi arma (tocando mi arco como voto solemne).’”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights satya (truth) as a binding moral force: a warrior’s pledge, sealed by invoking truth and touching the weapon, must be upheld even at the cost of one’s life. It frames martial action within ethical accountability—resolve is not mere anger, but a vowed commitment.
Sañjaya reports Arjuna’s solemn declaration on the battlefield: on that very day he will either slay Karṇa or be slain and fall to the earth. The statement is cast as an oath, ritually reinforced by invoking truth and grasping/touching his weapon (bow).