Shloka 22

Devanagari script

यथाद्य समरे कर्ण हनिष्यामि हतो5पि वा । महीतले पतिष्यामि सत्येनायुधमालभे

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | yathādya samare karṇa haniṣyāmi hato 'pi vā | mahītale patiṣyāmi satyenāyudham ālabhe ||

Translation

Sañjaya nói: “(Arjuna tuyên bố,) ‘Dẫu chính ta có bị giết, cũng sẽ như vậy: hôm nay giữa chiến địa, ta sẽ giết Karṇa; bằng không, bị đánh gục, ta sẽ ngã xuống mặt đất. Lấy chân lý làm chứng, ta nắm lấy vũ khí của mình (chạm vào cây cung để lập lời thệ nguyện trang nghiêm).’”

Word by Word

• यथा: as, in such a way that
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• अद्य: today
• अद्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य

• समरे: in battle
• समरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: समर
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• कर्ण: O Karna
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• हनिष्यामि: I will kill
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), First, Singular, Parasmaipada

• हतः: killed, slain
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन् (क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

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

• महीतले: on the ground, on the earth-surface
• महीतले: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीतल
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• पतिष्यामि: I will fall
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत्
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), First, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सत्येन: by truth, with truth
• सत्येन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• आयुधम्: weapon
• आयुधम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुध
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आलभे: I touch, I take hold of
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-लभ्
• Form: Present (Laṭ), First, Singular, Atmanepada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Karna
• earth (mahī/mahītala)
• weapon/bow (āyudha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights satya (truth) as a binding moral force: a warrior’s pledge, sealed by invoking truth and touching the weapon, must be upheld even at the cost of one’s life. It frames martial action within ethical accountability—resolve is not mere anger, but a vowed commitment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports Arjuna’s solemn declaration on the battlefield: on that very day he will either slay Karṇa or be slain and fall to the earth. The statement is cast as an oath, ritually reinforced by invoking truth and grasping/touching his weapon (bow).