Shloka 37
अद्यापुत्रा सूतमाता भवित्री कुन्ती वाथो वा मया तेन वापि । सत्यं वदाम्यद्य न कर्णमाजौ शरैरहत्वा कवचं विमोक्ष्ये,“आज मेरेद्वारा सूतपुत्रकी माता पुत्रहीन हो जायगी अथवा मेरी माता कुन्ती ही कर्णके द्वारा मुझ एक पुत्रसे हीन हो जायगी। मैं सत्य कहता हूँ, आज युद्धस्थलमें अपने बाणोंद्वारा कर्णको मारे बिना मैं कवच नहीं उतारूँगा
adyāputrā sūtamātā bhavitrī kuntī vātho vā mayā tena vāpi | satyaṃ vadāmyadya na karṇamājau śarairahatvā kavacaṃ vimokṣye ||
サञ्जयは言った。「今日、御者の子の母は我が手によって子を失うか、さもなくば我が母クンティーが、カルナによって、残るただ一人の息子である私を失うかである。私は真実を語る。今日、戦場において、我が矢でカルナを討ち倒すまでは、決して鎧を脱がぬ。」
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds satya (truthfulness) expressed as a binding vow in a dharmic crisis: the speaker accepts the moral weight of inevitable loss and commits to a decisive act in war, framing it as an unavoidable consequence rather than a casual desire for victory.
In the Karṇa-parvan battle setting, a solemn pledge is voiced: either Karṇa will be slain (making his mother bereft), or the speaker will be slain by Karṇa (making Kuntī bereft). The speaker swears not to remove his armor until Karṇa is killed by his arrows, intensifying the imminence of the climactic duel.