Shloka 27
Adhyāya 203 — Tilottamā-sṛṣṭiḥ
Creation and Commissioning of Tilottamā
हितं तु परमं कर्ण ब्रवीमि कुलवर्धनम् । अथ वत्वं मन्यसे दुष्ट ब्रूहि यत् परमं हितम्,कर्ण! मैं अपनी समझसे कुरुकुलकी वृद्धि करनेवाली परम हितकी बात कहता हूँ। यदि तू इसे दोषयुक्त मानता है तो बता, क्या करनेसे कौरवोंका परम हित होगा?
hitaṃ tu paramaṃ karṇa bravīmi kulavardhanam | atha vā tvaṃ manyase duṣṭa brūhi yat paramaṃ hitam ||
Droṇa sprach: „Karna, ich spreche, was ich als das höchste Wohl erkenne—was das Kuru-Geschlecht stärken und erhalten wird. Wenn du aber meinen Rat für fehlerhaft hältst, du Böser, so sprich: Welcher Weg würde den Kauravas wahrhaft ihr höchstes Heil bringen?“
द्रोण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames ethical counsel as a test of discernment: one should aim at 'parama hita'—the highest welfare that sustains the clan and polity—and if one rejects advice as flawed, one must responsibly propose a better, truly beneficial alternative.
Droṇa addresses Karṇa directly, asserting that he is offering counsel meant to promote the Kuru family's prosperity. Anticipating disagreement, he challenges Karṇa to state what he believes would actually secure the Kauravas’ greatest good.