Mahabharata 7.154.32 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 154, Shloka 32

घटोत्कच-कर्णयुद्धम्

Ghaṭotkaca–Karna Combat and the Release of Śakti

Devanagari script

दैवं प्रमाणं सर्वस्य सुकृतस्येतरस्य वा | अनन्यकर्म दैवं हि जागर्ति स्वपतामपि

Transliteration

daivaṁ pramāṇaṁ sarvasya sukṛtasyetarasya vā | ananyakarma daivaṁ hi jāgarti svapatām api ||

Translation

కర్ణుడు అన్నాడు—సుకృతమైనా దుష్కృతమైనా అన్నిటికీ ప్రమాణం దైవమే; ఫలాన్ని ఇచ్చేది కూడా అదే. నిజానికి ‘దైవం’ అనేది వేరేది కాదు—మనిషి తన పూర్వకృత కర్మమే; అది మనుషులు నిద్రించినా మేల్కొని ఫలితాన్ని తెస్తుంది.

Word by Word

• दैवम्: fate; divine dispensation
• दैवम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैव (प्रातिपदिक; देव-सम्बन्धि)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• प्रमाणम्: authority; decisive factor
• प्रमाणम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• सर्वस्य: of all
• सर्वस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• सुकृतस्य: of good deed/merit
• सुकृतस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुकृत (प्रातिपदिक; कृत-आधारित)
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• इतरस्य: of the other (i.e., evil deed/demerit)
• इतरस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• अनन्यकर्म: having no other work (than this); solely intent
• अनन्यकर्म: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनन्यकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• दैवम्: fate; divine dispensation
• दैवम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैव (प्रातिपदिक; देव-सम्बन्धि)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• हि: indeed; for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• जागर्ति: is awake; keeps watch
• Type: Verb
• Root: जागृ (धातु)
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• स्वपताम्: of those who sleep
• स्वपताम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वप् (धातु) → स्वपत् (वर्तमान कृदन्त/शतृ)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• अपि: even; also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Karna

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that ‘fate’ (daiva) is the governing power behind outcomes for both good and bad deeds, and that this fate is essentially one’s own past karma—an ever-vigilant moral causality that delivers results regardless of one’s awareness.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the midst of the Drona Parva’s war-time counsel and argumentation, Karna frames events through the lens of daiva/karma, asserting that outcomes are ultimately determined by the ripening of prior actions, not merely by present effort or intention.