Shloka 16
इत्येव नियमेन त्वं दद्या: शक्राय कुण्डले । तया त्वं कर्ण संग्रामे हनिष्यसि रणे रिपून्,इसी शर्तके साथ तुम इन्द्रको अपने कुण्डल देना। कर्ण! उस शक्तिके द्वारा तुम युद्धमें अपने शत्रुओंको मार डालोगे
ity eva niyamena tvaṃ dadyāḥ śakrāya kuṇḍale | tayā tvaṃ karṇa saṃgrāme haniṣyasi raṇe ripūn |
“Only on this condition should you give your earrings to Śakra (Indra). With that divine power, O Karṇa, you will be able in battle to strike down your enemies in the fight.”
सूर्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames dāna (giving) within ethical prudence: even a noble gift may be made with a clear condition when it protects one’s rightful duty in war. It highlights the tension between generosity and self-preservation, suggesting that dharma can involve wise stipulation rather than naïve surrender.
Sūrya counsels Karṇa about Indra’s request for Karṇa’s famed earrings. He advises Karṇa to give them only under a specific condition—so that Karṇa receives a compensating divine power/weapon enabling him to defeat enemies in battle.