Shloka 70

Devanagari script

कर्णश्र दानव: पक्ष अत: कार्य: पराजय:,“कर्ण दानव-पक्षका पुरुष है; अतः उसकी पराजय करनी चाहिये--ऐसा करनेपर निश्चितरूपसे देवताओंका ही कार्य सिद्ध होगा। देवेश्वर! अपना कार्य सभीके लिये गुरुतर होता है

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | karṇaḥ dānava-pakṣakaḥ puruṣaḥ; ataḥ tasya parājayaḥ kāryaḥ—iti kṛte niścitarūpeṇa devatānām eva kāryaṃ siddhaṃ bhavati | deveśvara! svaṃ kāryaṃ sarveṣāṃ kṛte gurutaraṃ bhavati |

Translation

Санджая сказал: «Карна стоит на стороне данавов; потому его поражение должно быть совершено. Если это будет сделано, замысел богов несомненно исполнится. О владыка богов, долг, лежащий на тебе — ради блага всех, — тяжелее всякого иного соображения».

Word by Word

कर्णःKarna

दानवःa Danava (demon)

पक्षतःfrom the side/party

कार्यःto be done; should be done

पराजयःdefeat

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

स

संजय (Sanjaya)

क

कर्ण (Karna)

द

दानव (Dānavas)

द

देवता (the gods)

द

देवेश्वर (Lord of the gods)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames ethical action in terms of larger duty: when someone aligns with destructive forces, opposing and defeating that force is presented as necessary for restoring order, and the responsibility borne for the common good is weightier than personal considerations.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports a justification for why Karna must be overcome in battle: he is characterized as belonging to the ‘Dānava side,’ so his defeat is urged as a means to secure the gods’ intended outcome and uphold a broader, welfare-oriented duty.