Shloka 24
ब्रह्मण्य: सत्यवादी च तपस्वी नियतव्रत:ः । रिपुष्वपि दयावांश्व॒ तस्मात् कर्णो वृष: स्मृत:,कर्ण ब्राह्मणभक्त, सत्यवादी, तपस्वी, नियम और व्रतका पालक तथा शत्रुओंपर भी दया करनेवाला है; इसीलिये उसे वृष (धर्मात्मा) कहा गया है
brahmaṇyaḥ satyavādī ca tapasvī niyatavrataḥ | ripuṣv api dayāvāṁś ca tasmāt karṇo vṛṣaḥ smṛtaḥ ||
Vāyu-deva said: “Karna is devoted to the Brahmins, a speaker of truth, an ascetic, and one who keeps his vows under discipline. He shows compassion even toward enemies; therefore Karna is remembered as ‘Vṛṣa’—a righteous man, steadfast in dharma.”
श्रीवायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in a war setting, true nobility is measured by inner discipline: truthfulness, steadfast vows, reverence for sacred duty, and compassion that does not vanish even toward enemies. Such qualities are presented as marks of dharma and the basis of lasting honor.
Vāyu-deva offers a eulogy of Karna’s character, listing his virtues—devotion to Brahmins, truth-speaking, ascetic restraint, vow-keeping, and mercy even toward foes—and concludes that these traits justify his epithet ‘Vṛṣa,’ meaning a foremost, righteous man.