Shloka 32
Devanagari script
कीर्तिहि पुरुषं लोके संजीवयति मातृवत् । अकीर्तिरजीवितं हन्ति जीवतो5पि शरीरिण:,कीर्ति इस संसारमें माताकी भाँति मनुष्यको नूतन जीवन प्रदान करती है। परंतु अकीर्ति जीवित पुरुषके भी जीवनको नष्ट कर देती है
Transliteration
kīrtir hi puruṣaṃ loke saṃjīvayati mātṛvat | akīrtir ajīvitaṃ hanti jīvato ’pi śarīriṇaḥ ||
Translation
迦尔纳说道：“确实，人在世间的名声如慈母一般使他复苏，赐予他新的生命与地位；而耻辱却毁灭生命本身——连仍在活体中呼吸的人也能被它击倒。”
Word by Word
कीर्तिःfame, good repute
कीर्तिः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootकीर्ति
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
हिindeed, for
हि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि
पुरुषम्man, person
पुरुषम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootपुरुष
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
लोकेin the world
लोके:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootलोक
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular
संजीवयतिrevives, gives life to
संजीवयति:
TypeVerb
Rootसम् + जीव्
FormPresent, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada, Active
मातृवत्like a mother
मातृवत्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootमातृवत्
अकीर्तिःill-fame, disgrace
अकीर्तिः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootअकीर्ति
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
अजीवितम्non-life; (as) death, lifelessness
अजीवितम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootअजीवित
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
हन्तिkills, destroys
हन्ति:
TypeVerb
Rootहन्
FormPresent, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada, Active
जीवतःof a living (person/being)
जीवतः:
TypeAdjective
Rootजीवत्
FormMasculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular
अपिeven, also
अपि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि
शरीरिणःof an embodied being, of a person
शरीरिणः:
TypeNoun
Rootशरीरिन्
FormMasculine, Genitive, Singular
Speaker
कर्ण उवाच
Characters & Entities
K
KarnaCharacter Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
Fame (kīrti) sustains and renews a person’s social and moral life, while disgrace (akīrti) is portrayed as a living death—eroding dignity, purpose, and standing even if the body remains alive.
Karna is speaking in a didactic, value-asserting mode, emphasizing the warrior-ethical priority of honor and public repute, and warning that dishonor is more destructive than physical death.