Shloka 23
Kuntī–Karṇa Saṃvāda: Lineage Disclosure and Appeal to Fraternal Dharma
चिन्तयन्ती बहुविधं हृदयेन विदूयता । बलाबलं च मन्त्राणां ब्राह्मणस्य च वाग्वलम्
cintayantī bahuvidhaṁ hṛdayena vidūyatā | balābalaṁ ca mantrāṇāṁ brāhmaṇasya ca vāgvalam, doṣaṁ pariharanti ca pituḥ snāritraya-rakṣiṇī | kathaṁ nu sukṛtaṁ me syān nāparādhavatī katham ||
Vaiśampāyana sprach: Mit vor Kummer brennendem Herzen sann sie auf vielerlei Weise nach—sie erwog sowohl die Stärke als auch die Schwäche der Mantras und die zwingende Macht der Rede eines Brāhmaṇa. Um jeden möglichen Makel abzuwehren und ihre gute Führung vor den Augen ihres Vaters zu bewahren, dachte sie: „Wie kann ich Verdienst erlangen, und wie kann ich vermeiden, tadelnswert zu werden?“
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights ethical vigilance: one should actively avoid doṣa (moral fault) and seek sukṛta (merit), while recognizing that powerful forces—like mantras and authoritative speech—can have consequences and therefore demand careful discernment.
The speaker describes a woman’s inner turmoil as she deliberates how to protect her reputation and righteousness before her father, weighing the potency of mantras and a brahmin’s words, and searching for a course that brings merit without incurring guilt.