Shloka 6

Devanagari script

अहं चेत्‌ क्षत्रियो जातो न प्राप्त: क्षत्रसत्क्रियाम्‌ । त्वत्कृते कि नु पापीय: शत्रु: कुर्यान्ममाहितम्‌,यद्यपि मैं क्षत्रियकुलमें उत्पन्न हुआ था तो भी तुम्हारे कारण क्षत्रियोचित संस्कारसे वंचित रह गया। कोई शत्रु भी मेरा इससे बढ़कर कष्टदायक एवं अहितकारक कार्य और क्या कर सकता है?

Transliteration

ahaṁ cet kṣatriyo jāto na prāptaḥ kṣatra-satkriyām | tvat-kṛte ki nu pāpīyaḥ śatruḥ kuryān mamāhitam ||

Translation

నేను క్షత్రియుడిగా పుట్టినా, నీ కారణంగా క్షత్రియోచిత సంస్కారాలు, గౌరవస్వీకారం నాకు లభించలేదు. దీనికన్నా ఘోరమైన హాని ఒక శత్రువు కూడా నాకు ఇంకేమి చేయగలడు?

Word by Word

अहम्I

चेत्if

क्षत्रियःa Kshatriya

जातःborn

नnot

प्राप्तःobtained / attained

क्षत्रसत्क्रियाम्Kshatriya-appropriate rites/discipline (proper training/initiations)

त्वत्कृतेbecause of you / on your account

किम्what

नुindeed / then (interrogative particle)

पापीयान्more evil / worse

शत्रुःan enemy

कुर्यात्could do / would do

ममof me / my

अहितम्harm / injury

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

Karna

unnamed addressee (tvat = 'you')

enemy (śatru)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how denial of rightful rites and social recognition can be experienced as profound harm—sometimes felt as worse than open hostility—raising ethical questions about responsibility for another’s dignity, identity, and dharmic formation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna, speaking in a charged exchange, complains that despite being born a kṣatriya he was deprived of kṣatriya-appropriate rites and honor due to the person he addresses, and he frames this deprivation as an injury so severe that even an enemy could scarcely surpass it.