Shloka 22

Devanagari script

यथाद्य समरे कर्ण हनिष्यामि हतो5पि वा । महीतले पतिष्यामि सत्येनायुधमालभे,भरतश्रेष्ठ] उनके ऐसा कहनेपर अर्जुनने उत्तर दिया--'राजन्‌! नरश्रेष्ठ महीपाल! मैं आपसे सत्यकी, आपके कृपापूर्ण प्रसादकी, भीमसेनकी तथा नकुल और सहदेवकी शपथ खाकर सत्यके द्वारा अपने धनुषको छूकर कहता हूँ कि आज समरमें या तो कर्णको मार डालूँगा या स्वयं ही मारा जाकर पृथ्वीपर गिर जाऊँगा'

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | yathādya samare karṇa haniṣyāmi hato 'pi vā | mahītale patiṣyāmi satyenāyudham ālabhe ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “(Arjuna declared,) ‘Even if I myself be slain, so shall it be: today in battle I will kill Karṇa, or else, struck down, I shall fall upon the earth. By truth I take hold of my weapon (touching my bow as a solemn vow).’”

Word by Word

यथाas, in such a way that

अद्यtoday

समरेin battle

कर्णO Karna

हनिष्यामिI will kill

हतःkilled, slain

अपिeven, also

वाor

महीतलेon the ground, on the earth-surface

पतिष्यामिI will fall

सत्येनby truth, with truth

आयुधम्weapon

आलभेI touch, I take hold of

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Karna

earth (mahī/mahītala)

weapon/bow (āyudha)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

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 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.

What is happening in the narrative?

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).