Shloka 33

Devanagari script

अयं पुराण: श्लोको हि स्वयं गीतो विभावसो । धात्रा लोकेश्वर यथा कीर्तिरायुर्नरस्य ह,विभावसो! लोकेश्वर! साक्षात्‌ ब्रह्माजीके द्वारा गाया हुआ यह प्राचीन श्लोक है कि कीर्ति मनुष्यकी आयु है

Transliteration

ayaṁ purāṇaḥ śloko hi svayaṁ gīto vibhāvaso | dhātrā lokeśvara yathā kīrtir āyur narasya ha ||

Translation

Wahai Vibhāvasu, wahai Penguasa dunia! Inilah syair purba, laksana kebenaran abadi yang seakan bernyanyi dengan sendirinya. Sang Pencipta, Dhātā, telah melantunkannya: sebagaimana umur manusia dihitung dengan tahun, demikian pula ‘hidup’ sejatinya di dunia ini adalah kemasyhurannya.

Word by Word

अयम्this

पुराणःancient

श्लोकःverse

हिindeed

स्वयम्by oneself; personally

गीतःsung; recited

विभावसोO Vibhāvasu (Agni)

धात्राby the Creator (Dhātṛ/Brahmā)

लोकेश्वरO lord of the world

यथाas; just as (that)

कीर्तिःfame; renown

आयुःlife-span; life

नरस्यof a man

हindeed; surely (emphatic particle)

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

Karna

Agni (Vibhāvasu)

Brahma (Dhatr)

Lokesvara (Lord of the world)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that a person’s enduring ‘life’ in society is not merely biological longevity but kīrti—earned reputation through righteous conduct and memorable deeds. Ethical action creates a legacy that outlasts the body.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna cites an old, authoritative saying—attributed to the Creator (Dhātṛ/Brahmā)—addressing Vibhāvasu (Agni) and invoking the ‘Lord of the world,’ to underscore the value of fame and lasting honor as a motivating principle in human action.