Shloka 11

Gaṅgā-tīra Udaka-kriyā and Kuntī’s Disclosure of Karṇa’s Maternity

Strī-parva, Adhyāya 27

Devanagari script

योडवृणीत यश: शूर: प्राणैरपि सदा भुवि | कर्णस्य सत्यसंधस्य संग्रामेष्वपलायिन:

Transliteration

yoḍavṛṇīta yaśaḥ śūraḥ prāṇair api sadā bhuvi | karṇasya satyasaṃdhasya saṃgrāmeṣv apalāyinaḥ

Translation

বৈশম্পায়ন বললেন—তিনি এমন এক বীর, যিনি পৃথিবীতে প্রাণের বিনিময়েও সর্বদা যশই বেছে নিতেন—সত্যসংকল্প কর্ণ, যিনি যুদ্ধে কখনও পলায়ন করতেন না।

Word by Word

यःwho

उदवृणीतchose, selected

यशःfame, glory

शूरःthe hero, the brave man

प्राणैःwith (his) lives / by (his) life-breaths

अपिeven, also

सदाalways

भुविon earth, in the world

कर्णस्यof Karna

सत्यसन्धस्यof the truth-keeping (one), true to his pledge

संग्रामेषुin battles

अपलायिन्not fleeing, not running away

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Karṇa

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 praises the warrior-ethic of steadfastness: choosing honorable renown and keeping one’s truth/pledge even at the risk of life, and not abandoning the battlefield out of fear.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the lament-filled context of the Strī Parva, Vaiśaṃpāyana recalls Karṇa’s character—his commitment to truth and his refusal to retreat in war—highlighting the stature of those who have fallen.