Shloka 54

Devanagari script

तदत्र पुण्डरीकाक्ष निधत्स्व यदभीप्सितम्‌ । यथा कार्त्स्न्येन वार्ष्णेय क्षत्रं स्वर्गमवाप्रुयात्‌,कमलनयन वृष्णिनन्दन! आप भी इसकी सिद्धिके लिये ही ऐसा मनोवांछित प्रयत्न करें, जिससे यह सारा-का-सारा क्षत्रियसमूह स्वर्गलोकमें पहुँच जाय

Transliteration

tad atra puṇḍarīkākṣa nidhatsva yad abhīpsitam | yathā kārtsnyena vārṣṇeya kṣatraṃ svargam avāpruyāt ||

Translation

پس اے پُندریکاکش (کنول نین)! یہاں وہی فیصلہ کر جو تیرے دل کی حقیقی مراد ہے۔ اے وارشنیہ! ایسی پختہ تدبیر اختیار کر کہ یہ سارا لشکرِ کشتریہ، پورے کا پورا، سوَرگ کو پہنچ جائے۔

Word by Word

तत्that (thing/aim)

अत्रhere, in this matter

पुण्डरीकाक्षO lotus-eyed one

निधत्स्वplace, apply, set (your effort)

यत्what(ever) which

अभीप्सितम्desired, wished-for

यथाso that, in such a way that

कार्त्स्न्येनcompletely, in entirety

वार्ष्णेयO descendant of Vṛṣṇi

क्षत्रम्the Kṣatriya class/host

स्वर्गम्heaven

अवाप्नुयात्may attain, might reach

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

Karna

Krishna (Puṇḍarīkākṣa, Vārṣṇeya)

Kṣatriyas

Svarga

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames decisive action in terms of intended ends: one should firmly choose a course aligned with one’s aim, here expressed as the kṣatriya ideal where fulfilling warrior-duty—even through catastrophic conflict—culminates in Svarga. It highlights resolve (nidhatsva) and totality (kārtsnyena) in pursuing a chosen dharmic outcome.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna addresses Krishna with honorific epithets and urges him to determine and pursue what he truly intends, in a way that results in the entire kṣatriya host attaining heaven—an ominous counsel that anticipates the all-consuming war and interprets its consequences through the warrior’s eschatological lens.