Shloka 55
यावत् स्थास्यन्ति गिरय: सरितश्न जनार्दन । तावत् कीर्तिभव: शब्द: शाश्वतो5यं भविष्यति
yāvat sthāsyanti girayaḥ saritaś ca janārdana | tāvat kīrtibhavaḥ śabdaḥ śāśvato 'yaṃ bhaviṣyati ||
यावत् स्थास्यन्ति गिरयः सरितश्च जनार्दन । तावत् कीर्तिभवः शब्दः शाश्वतोऽयं भविष्यति ॥
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse elevates kīrti (renown) as a form of lasting legacy: while human life is brief, one’s deeds can generate an enduring ‘śabda’—public remembrance—imagined to last as long as the natural world (mountains and rivers). It reflects the warrior-ethical ideal that actions should be worthy of remembrance, not merely advantageous in the moment.
In Udyoga Parva, amid the tense pre-war negotiations and counsels, Karna addresses Janārdana (Kṛṣṇa). He speaks in the register of heroic resolve, asserting that the fame arising from his stance and deeds will be everlasting—framing his chosen course in terms of honor and reputation before the coming conflict.