Shloka 37
भीतानामभयं दत्त्वा संग्रामे जीवितार्थिनाम् । वृद्धान् बालान् द्विजातींश्व मोक्षयित्वा महाभयात्,संग्राममें भयभीत होकर प्राणोंकी भीख माँगनेवाले सैनिकोंको अभय देकर तथा बालक, वृद्ध और ब्राह्मणोंको महान् भयसे छुड़ाकर संसारमें परम उत्तम स्वर्गीय यशका उपार्जन करूँगा। मुझे प्राण देकर भी अपनी कीर्ति सुरक्षित रखनी है। यही मेरा व्रत समझें
bhītānām abhayaṃ dattvā saṅgrāme jīvitārthinām | vṛddhān bālān dvijātīṃś ca mokṣayitvā mahābhayāt ||
Karna berkata: “Di medan perang, aku akan mengurniakan rasa aman kepada mereka yang ketakutan—para prajurit yang hanya merayu nyawa. Dan aku akan menyelamatkan orang tua, kanak-kanak, serta kaum dwija (Brahmana) daripada ketakutan besar. Dengan perilaku demikian, aku akan meraih kemasyhuran tertinggi yang menjulang ke syurga di dunia ini. Walau dengan harga nyawaku, aku mesti memelihara nama baikku—ketahuilah, itulah nazarku.”
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid warfare, dharma demands restraint and protection of the vulnerable: granting safety to those who surrender or plead for life, and safeguarding noncombatants such as children, elders, and brahmins. True honor (yaśas) is preserved not merely by victory but by ethical conduct, even at personal cost.
Karna declares a personal vow regarding his behavior in battle: he will give assurance of safety to terrified soldiers who seek only to live, and he will rescue children, elders, and brahmins from danger. He frames this as the path to the highest fame and insists that preserving his reputation for dharmic conduct is worth even his life.