Shloka 52

Devanagari script

स्वप्स्थे वा निहतस्ताभ्यामनित्यो हि रणे जय: । कृतार्थोड्द्य भविष्यामि हत्वा वाप्यथवा हत:,अथवा उन्हीं दोनोंके हाथों मारा जाकर सदाके लिये सो जाऊँगा, क्योंकि रणमें विजय अनिश्चित होती है। आज मैं उन दोनोंको मारकर अथवा मारा जाकर सर्वथा कृतार्थ हो जाऊँगा

Transliteration

svapsthe vā nihatastābhyām anityo hi raṇe jayaḥ | kṛtārtho ’dya bhaviṣyāmi hatvā vāpy athavā hataḥ ||

Translation

ไม่ว่าข้าจะล้มลงด้วยมือของคนทั้งสองนั้นแล้วหลับใหลชั่วนิรันดร์—เพราะชัยชนะในสนามรบย่อมไม่แน่นอน; หรือในวันนี้ ข้าจะสังหารพวกเขา—หรือถูกพวกเขาสังหาร—และจักเป็นผู้บรรลุความสำเร็จโดยสิ้นเชิง

Word by Word

स्वप्स्थेin sleep / in the state of sleeping

वाor

निहतःkilled / slain

ताभ्याम्by those two

अनित्यःuncertain / impermanent

हिindeed / for

रणेin battle

जयःvictory

कृतार्थःfulfilled / having achieved the purpose

उद्यःready / intent (to act)

भविष्यामिI shall become / I shall be

हत्वाhaving killed

वाor

अपिalso / even

अथवाor else

हतःkilled / slain

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

Karna

those two (tābhyām) — implied pair of opponents

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 stresses that victory in war is not guaranteed; therefore a warrior measures fulfillment by steadfast resolve and readiness to accept either outcome—slaying the foe or falling in the attempt—rather than by certainty of success.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna declares his determination to confront a pair of opponents. He acknowledges the unpredictability of battle and states that he will be satisfied either by defeating them or by dying at their hands, treating the day’s combat as the decisive completion of his purpose.