Shloka 3

भीष्मस्य दुर्योधनं प्रति कुलहितोपदेशः | Bhīṣma’s Counsel to Duryodhana on Dynastic Welfare

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच एवमुक्तस्य मात्रा च स्वयं पित्रा च भानुना । चचाल नैव कर्णस्य मति: सत्यधृतेस्तदा

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca evam uktasya mātrā ca svayaṃ pitrā ca bhānunā | cacāla naiva karṇasya matiḥ satyadhṛtes tadā ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sagte: Obwohl seine Mutter und auch sein Vater Bhānu (die Sonne) so zu ihm sprachen, wankte Karṇas Entschluss damals nicht; denn er war fest von der Wahrheit getragen—standhaft in dem Gelübde, das er angenommen hatte.

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaiśampāyana

उवाचsaid

एवम्thus

उक्तस्यof (him) who was spoken to / when addressed

मात्राby (his) mother

चand

स्वयम्personally

पित्राby (his) father

चand

भानुनाby Bhānu (name) / by the Sun

चचालmoved, wavered

नnot

एवindeed, at all

कर्णस्यof Karṇa

मतिःmind, resolve

सत्यधृतेःof Satyadhṛti (name) / of one whose firmness is truth

तदाthen

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Karṇa

Mother (mātā)

Father (pitā)

Bhānu

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights satya-niṣṭhā—steadfast adherence to truth and one’s pledged commitment. Even strong emotional appeals from family do not move a person whose resolve is grounded in truth and a consciously accepted duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

After being addressed and urged by his mother and by his father Bhānu, Karṇa remains unmoved. The narrator emphasizes that his mind does not waver at that moment because he is sustained by truth and firm resolve.