Shloka 40
Adhyāya 10: Śrutakarmā’s Engagements; Prativindhya–Citra Duel; Drauṇi Advances toward Bhīma
कर्ण उवाच उक्तमेतन्मया पूर्व गान्धारे तव संनिधौ । जेष्यामि पाण्डवान् सर्वान् सपुत्रान् सजनार्दनान्,कर्णने कहा--गान्धारीनन्दन! मैंने तुम्हारे समीप पहले ही यह बात कह दी है कि मैं पाण्डवोंको, उनके पुत्रों और श्रीकृष्णके साथ ही परास्त कर दूँगा
karṇa uvāca | uktam etan mayā pūrvaṁ gāndhāre tava saṁnidhau | jeṣyāmi pāṇḍavān sarvān saputrān sajanārdanān ||
Karna said: “I told you this earlier, O son of Gandhārī, in your very presence: I shall defeat all the Pāṇḍavas—together with their sons, and even with Janārdana (Kṛṣṇa) on their side.” In this vow Karna asserts unwavering martial resolve and personal honor, framing victory as a matter of pledged word amid the moral pressure of a fratricidal war.
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of a warrior’s pledged word (satya and pratijñā): Karna grounds his identity in keeping a public vow, even when the opponent has divine support, showing how honor and resolve function as moral currency in the epic’s war ethic.
Karna speaks to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, reminding him that he had already promised—face to face—that he would defeat the Pāṇḍavas along with their sons and even with Kṛṣṇa allied to them, asserting confidence and commitment as the conflict intensifies.