Shloka 39
सो<हं दत्त्वा मघवते भिक्षामेतामनुत्तमाम् | ब्राह्मणच्छझिने देव लोके गन्ता परां गतिम्,इसलिये देव! इस प्रकारके व्रतवाला मैं ब्राह्मण-वेषधारी इन्द्रको यह परम श्रेष्ठ भिक्षा देकर जगतमें उत्तम गति प्राप्त करूँगा
so ’haṃ dattvā maghavate bhikṣām etām anuttamām | brāhmaṇacchadmine deva loke gantā parāṃ gatim ||
Karna berkata: “Maka, wahai dewa, aku yang berikrar demikian akan memberikan sedekah yang tiada bandingan ini kepada Maghavan—Indra yang datang menyamar sebagai Brahmana—lalu aku akan pergi ke alam dewa dan mencapai keadaan yang tertinggi.”
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the dharmic ideal of dāna: giving even when the recipient’s intent may be questionable. Karna frames the act as a vow-driven gift that purifies and elevates the giver, aiming at the ‘highest state’ rather than immediate worldly advantage.
Karna declares his resolve to give an extraordinary alms to Indra, who approaches him in the guise of a brahmin. Karna anticipates that this act of giving will earn him passage to the divine world and the supreme destiny.