Shloka 6

Devanagari script

अभिप्रायमथो ज्ञात्वा महेन्द्रस्य विभावसु: । कुण्डलार्थे महाराज सूर्य: कर्णमुपागत:,महाराज! कुण्डलके विषयमें देवराज इन्द्रका मनोभाव जानकर भगवान्‌ सूर्य कर्णके पास गये

Transliteration

abhiprāyam atho jñātvā mahendrasya vibhāvasuḥ | kuṇḍalārthe mahārāja sūryaḥ karṇam upāgataḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: Als Vibhāvasu — der Sonnengott — die Absicht Mahendras (Indras) hinsichtlich der Ohrringe erkannt hatte, kam er zu Karṇa, o König, um ihn zu warnen und zu leiten, eingedenk der sittlichen Gefahr, ein Geschenk zu gewähren, das ihn seines angeborenen Schutzes berauben würde.

Word by Word

अभिप्रायम्intention, thought

अथthen, now

ज्ञात्वाhaving known

महेन्द्रस्यof Mahendra (Indra)

विभावसु:Vibhāvasu (the Sun/Fire; here: the Sun)

कुण्डलार्थेin the matter of the earrings (for the earrings)

महाराजO great king

सूर्य:the Sun

कर्णम्Karna

उपागतःcame, approached

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Mahendra (Indra)

Vibhāvasu (Sūrya)

Karṇa

Kuṇḍala (earrings)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Discernment must guide generosity: charity is virtuous, but giving away what enables one’s rightful duty and survival—especially under another’s hidden agenda—can become ethically complex. The verse highlights the need to recognize motives and protect dharma while remaining noble.

What is happening in the narrative?

Indra desires Karṇa’s divine earrings (and by implication his protective endowments). Sūrya, perceiving Indra’s intention, approaches Karṇa to caution him and influence his decision before Indra’s request is made.