Shloka 19
पाण्डोः तपः-प्रसङ्गः, ऋण-धर्मः, अपत्य-प्राप्ति-चिन्ता
Pāṇḍu’s Asceticism, the Doctrine of Debts, and Deliberations on Progeny
सहजं कवचं बिश्रत् कुण्डलो द्योतितानन: । अजायत सुत: कर्ण: सर्वलोकेषु विश्रुत:,जन्मके साथ ही कवच धारण किये उस बालकका मुख जन्मजात कुण्डलोंसे प्रकाशित हो रहा था। इस प्रकार कर्ण नामक पुत्र उत्पन्न हुआ, जो सब लोकोंमें विख्यात है
sahajaṃ kavacaṃ bibhrat kuṇḍalo dyotitānanaḥ | ajāyata sutaḥ karṇaḥ sarvalokeṣu viśrutaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Bearing a natural coat of armor from birth, and with his face radiant from the earrings that were also innate, a son was born—Karna—who would become renowned throughout all the worlds.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the idea that extraordinary innate gifts can mark a person for greatness in public memory, yet it also invites reflection on dharma: true worth is not only what one is born with, but how one lives and chooses amid social judgment and fate.
Vaiśampāyana narrates Karna’s birth, emphasizing that he arrived already wearing a natural armor and earrings, making his appearance radiant and signaling his exceptional, world-renowned destiny.