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

Vaiśaṃpāyana sprach: Er war ein Held, der auf Erden stets den Ruhm wählte, selbst um den Preis seines Lebens — Karṇa, standhaft in der Wahrheit und niemals einer, der in Schlachten floh.

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

Cross References

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.