Shloka 40
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 ||
ಕರ್ಣನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಗಾಂಧಾರೀಪುತ್ರನೇ! ನಿನ್ನ ಸನ್ನಿಧಾನದಲ್ಲೇ ನಾನು ಹಿಂದೆಯೇ ಹೇಳಿದ್ದೇನೆ: ಪಾಂಡವರನ್ನೆಲ್ಲ, ಅವರ ಪುತ್ರರೊಡನೆ, ಜನಾರ್ದನ (ಶ್ರೀಕೃಷ್ಣ) ಜೊತೆಯಿದ್ದರೂ ಸಹ ನಾನು ಜಯಿಸುವೆನು.
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.