Shloka 37

Devanagari script

कल्माषदण्डा गोविन्द विमला रथपद्धक्तय: । यूपा: समुपकल्पन्तामस्मिन्‌ यज्ञे जनार्दन

Transliteration

kalmāṣadaṇḍā govinda vimalā rathapaddhaktayaḥ | yūpāḥ samupakalpantām asmin yajñe janārdana ||

Translation

Karna berkata: “Wahai Govinda, wahai Janārdana—biarlah jejak-jejak laluan kereta yang bersih dan rapi itu disusun dengan sempurna; dan biarlah tiang-tiang korban (yūpa) disediakan untuk yajña ini.”

Word by Word

• कल्माषदण्डाः: spotted/variegated staffs (posts)
• कल्माषदण्डाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्माषदण्ड
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• गोविन्द: O Govinda
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोविन्द
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• विमलाः: pure, spotless
• विमलाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• रथपद्धक्तयः: rows/lines of chariots
• रथपद्धक्तयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथपद्धक्ति
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• यूपाः: sacrificial posts
• यूपाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: यूप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• समुपकल्पन्ताम्: let them be prepared/arranged
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+उप+कॢप्
• Form: Imperative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Plural, Atmanepada

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• यज्ञे: in the sacrifice
• यज्ञे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• जनार्दन: O Janardana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्दन
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Karna
• Govinda (Krishna)
• Janardana (Krishna)
• ratha (chariot)
• yūpa (sacrificial post)
• yajña (sacrifice)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how moral agents can frame violent action within the language of sacred duty: by calling war a ‘yajña,’ Karna presents preparation for battle as a solemn, rule-governed undertaking, raising questions about how rhetoric and ritual imagery can be used to claim righteousness and inevitability.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna addresses Kṛṣṇa (Govinda/Janārdana) and speaks of making preparations—invoking chariot-tracks and sacrificial posts—while metaphorically treating the impending conflict as a sacrificial rite, signaling readiness for the decisive confrontation.