Shloka 29

Devanagari script

कर्ण उवाच एवमप्यस्तु भगवन्नेकवीरवधे मम । अमोधां देहि मे शक्ति यथा हन्यां प्रतापिनम्‌,कर्ण बोला--भगवन्‌! ऐसा ही हो। तो भी आप एक वीरके वधके लिये मुझे अपनी अमोघ शक्ति दे दीजिये, जिससे मैं अपने प्रतापी शत्रुका वध कर सकूँ

Transliteration

karṇa uvāca evam apy astu bhagavan ekavīra-vadhe mama | amoghāṃ dehi me śaktiṃ yathā hanyāṃ pratāpinam ||

Translation

Karna disse: “Que assim seja, ó venerável. Ainda que tenha de ser desse modo, concede-me tua arma divina infalível para a morte de um único herói, para que eu possa abater meu poderoso inimigo.”

Word by Word

कर्णःKarna

उवाचsaid

एवम्thus, so

अपिeven, also

अस्तुlet it be

भगवन्O Lord

एकवीरवधेin/for the killing of a single hero

ममof me, my

अमोधाम्unfailing

देहिgive

मेto me

शक्तिम्power; (divine) weapon

यथाso that, in such a way that

हन्याम्I might kill

प्रतापिनम्the mighty one, the valorous (enemy)

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

क

कर्ण (Karna)

भ

भगवन् (Bhagavan—honorific addressee, unspecified here)

श

शक्ति (Śakti—divine weapon/missile)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical tension in warfare between personal valor and reliance on guaranteed, divinely sanctioned force. Karna consents to a restriction (one-hero use) yet still seeks an infallible means to kill, underscoring that extraordinary power demands restraint and carries moral weight.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna addresses a revered figure and requests an unfailing ‘Śakti’ weapon, specifically for killing a single great warrior. He accepts the terms attached to the boon and asks for the means to slay his formidable enemy in battle.