Shloka 6
उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय १४० (कृष्णेन कर्णं प्रति पाण्डवबल-वैशिष्ट्यप्रदर्शनम्) / Udyoga Parva, Chapter 140
Krishna’s appraisal of Pandava advantage and war portents
मधुसूदन! उसके बाद अधिरथ नामक सूत मुझे जलमें देखते ही निकालकर अपने घर ले आये और बड़े स्नेहसे मुझे अपनी पत्नी राधाकी गोदमें दे दिया ।।
matsnehāc caiva rādhāyāṃ sadyaḥ kṣīram avātarat | sā me mūtra-purīṣaṃ ca pratijagrāha mādhava ||
„O Madhusūdana! Danach zog mich der Wagenlenker namens Adhiratha, sobald er mich im Wasser erblickte, sogleich heraus und brachte mich in sein Haus; und voller Zuneigung legte er mich in den Schoß seiner Gattin Rādhā. Aus tiefer Liebe zu mir schoss Rādhas Milch augenblicklich ein. O Mādhava, in jener hilflosen Säuglingszeit nahm sie sogar die Aufgabe auf sich, meinen Urin und Kot zu reinigen—und trug mit Zärtlichkeit und Verantwortungsbewusstsein die ganze Last der Mutterschaft.“
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights ethical motherhood and gratitude: true parenthood is shown through care, responsibility, and compassion, not merely by birth. It also underscores the dignity of nurturing labor and the moral weight of acknowledging those who raised and protected one.
Karna, speaking to Kṛṣṇa (Mādhava), recalls his infancy with his foster mother Rādhā. He describes how, moved by affection, she began lactating immediately and took on the intimate duties of caring for a newborn, emphasizing her genuine maternal role in his life.