Shloka 47

Devanagari script

कर्ण उवाच न नाग कर्णोडउद्य रणे परस्य बल॑ समास्थाय जयं बुभूषेत्‌

Transliteration

karṇa uvāca na nāga-karṇo 'dyaraṇe parasya balaṃ samāsthāya jayaṃ bubhūṣet

Translation

Karna disse: “Nem mesmo Nāgakarṇa, na batalha de hoje, se apoiaria na força de outrem para então buscar a vitória. Um guerreiro deve aspirar ao triunfo por sua própria valentia, não se escorando no poder alheio.”

Word by Word

कर्णःKarna

उवाचsaid

नnot

नागO serpent / O Nāga

कर्णःKarna

उद्यhaving risen/going forth; setting out

रणेin battle

परस्यof the other/foe

बलम्strength/army

समास्थायhaving taken refuge in / relying upon

जयम्victory

बुभूषेत्would wish to be / would desire

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

Karna

Nāgakarṇa

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Karna asserts a warrior’s code: victory should be pursued through one’s own valor and rightful effort, not by depending on another’s strength. The ethical emphasis is on honor, personal responsibility, and the integrity of martial conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the midst of the Karna Parva battle, Karna speaks to frame the contest in terms of kshatriya honor. By invoking Nāgakarṇa as a benchmark, he argues that even renowned fighters would not seek victory by leaning on another’s power, thereby challenging any strategy that appears dependent or dishonorable.