Shloka 2
कर्ण–कृष्णसंवादः (Karṇa–Kṛṣṇa-saṃvādaḥ) — Karṇa’s Statement on Lineage, Loyalty, and the ‘Śastra-yajña’ Metaphor
किमब्रवीदमेयात्मा राधेयं परवीरहा । कानि सान्त्वानि गोविन्द: सूतपुत्रे प्रयुक्तवान्
kim abravīd ameyātmā rādheyaṁ paravīrahā | kāni sāntvāni govindaḥ sūtaputre prayuktavān |
Dhṛtarāṣṭra fragte: „Was sagte Rādheya (Karna), von unermesslicher Seele, der Bezwinger feindlicher Helden? Und welche Worte der Beschwichtigung gebrauchte Govinda (Kṛṣṇa) gegenüber dem Sohn des Wagenlenkers?“
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical role of sāntva (conciliation) before violence: even when war seems inevitable, righteous leadership first seeks persuasion and reconciliation, testing whether pride, loyalty, and social identity can be redirected toward dharma.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra inquires about the dialogue between Kṛṣṇa and Karṇa—specifically, what Karṇa replied and what conciliatory arguments Kṛṣṇa used—situating the scene within pre-war negotiations and attempts to avert or morally frame the coming conflict.