Shloka 493
अश्रमवासिनां विषादः — Lament in Hastināpura after the Elders’ Forest Withdrawal
प्रच्छन्नजातं पुत्र तं सस्मारादित्यसंनिभम् | जब गान्धारीने इस प्रकार कहा, तब व्रतसे दुर्बल मुखवाली कुन्तीने गुप्तरूपसे उत्पन्न हुए अपने सूर्यतुल्य तेजस्वी पुत्र कर्णका स्मरण किया
pracchannajātaṁ putra taṁ sasmārādityasaṁnibham |
Vaiśampāyana said: When Gāndhārī spoke in this manner, Kuntī—her face weakened by austerity—secretly remembered her son Karṇa, who had been born in concealment and shone with a radiance like the sun.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when one has entered a life of restraint and austerity, unresolved ethical burdens—especially those involving concealment, truth, and parental duty—continue to demand inner reckoning. The verse highlights how dharma is not only public action but also private accountability and remembrance.
After Gāndhārī speaks, Kuntī—physically weakened by vows and austerities—silently recalls Karṇa, her secretly born son, described as sun-like in splendor. The narration frames Kuntī’s inward response as a poignant remembrance amid the post-war forest life.