Shloka 51
कृष्णौ च पुरुषव्यात्र ततः सत्यं ब्रवीमि ते । नाहत्वा युधि तौ वीरौ व्यपयास्थे कथंचन
kṛṣṇau ca puruṣavyātra tataḥ satyaṃ bravīmi te | nāhatvā yudhi tau vīrau vyapayāsthe kathaṃcana ||
மனிதர்களில் புலியே! உனக்கு நான் உண்மையையே சொல்கிறேன்—போரில் அந்த இரு வீரர்கள், ஸ்ரீகிருஷ்ணனும் அர்ஜுனனும், அவர்களை வதைக்காமல் நான் எவ்விதத்திலும் பின்வாங்கமாட்டேன்.
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
Karna presents steadfastness in one’s declared truth (satya) and commitment to warrior-duty as binding: once he has set his aim in battle, he treats retreat as ethically unacceptable until that aim is met.
In the Karṇa Parva’s battle sequence, Karna addresses a warrior as “tiger among men” and declares a firm resolve: he will not turn back from the fight unless he kills the two central opponents named here—Kṛṣṇa (as Arjuna’s charioteer and strategist) and Arjuna (his chief rival).