Shloka 31
वृणोमि कीर्ति लोके हि जीवितेनापि भानुमन् । कीर्तिमानश्षुते स्वर्ग हीनकीर्तिस्तु नश्यति,अतः सूर्यदेव! मैं जीवन देकर भी जगतमें कीर्तिका ही वरण करूँगा। कीर्तिमान् पुरुष स्वर्गका सुख भोगता है। जिसकी कीर्ति नष्ट हो जाती है, वह स्वयं भी नष्ट ही है
vṛṇomi kīrtiṃ loke hi jīvitena api bhānuman | kīrtimān aśnute svargaṃ hīnakīrtis tu naśyati ||
Karna menyatakan bahawa, walaupun dengan harga nyawanya sendiri, dia memilih kemasyhuran dan nama baik yang berkekalan di dunia ini. Sesiapa yang memiliki reputasi mulia akan menikmati kebahagiaan di syurga, tetapi orang yang kehilangan nama baiknya pada hakikatnya turut binasa. Dengan menyapa Dewa Surya, dia merumuskan tekadnya sebagai ikrar dharma: hidup itu sementara, namun kehormatan dan beban moral pada nama seseorang dapat melampaui jasad dan menentukan nasib selepas mati.
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that kīrti (honorable reputation grounded in valued conduct) is worth more than mere survival: it outlasts the body and is linked to one’s moral and posthumous outcome. A person of good repute ‘attains heaven,’ while loss of honor is portrayed as a kind of existential ruin.
Karna, speaking in the Vana Parva context, addresses the Sun-god (Sūrya) and states his firm resolve: even if life must be sacrificed, he will choose renown and the honor of his name. The statement functions as a self-vow, aligning his actions with a warrior’s ideal of enduring fame.