Shloka 3
कर्ण–कृष्णसंवादः (Karṇa–Kṛṣṇa-saṃvādaḥ) — Karṇa’s Statement on Lineage, Loyalty, and the ‘Śastra-yajña’ Metaphor
धृतराष्ट्रने पूछा--संजय! राजपुत्रों तथा सेवकोंसे घिरे हुए, शत्रुवीरोंका संहार करनेवाले, अप्रमेयस्वरूप, भगवान् श्रीकृष्ण जब राधानन्दन कर्णको रथपर बिठाकर हस्तिनापुरसे बाहर निकल गये, तब उन्होंने उससे क्या कहा? गोविन्दने सूतपुत्र कर्णको क्या सान्त्वनाएँ दीं? ।।
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca— sañjaya! rājaputraiḥ sevakaiś ca parivṛtaḥ, śatruvīrasaṃhārakaḥ, aprameyasvarūpo bhagavān śrīkṛṣṇaḥ yadā rādhānandanaṃ karṇaṃ rathopaviśya hastināpurād bahiḥ niṣkrāntaḥ, tadā tena saha kim abravīt? govindaḥ sūtaputraṃ karṇaṃ kāḥ sāntvanāḥ prādāt? udyanmeghasvanaḥ kāle kṛṣṇaḥ karṇam athābravīt— mṛdu vā yadi vā tīkṣṇaṃ tan mamācakṣva, sañjaya.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “Sañjaya, when the blessed Śrī Kṛṣṇa—of immeasurable nature, surrounded by princes and attendants, destroyer of enemy-heroes—set Karna, the son of Rādhā, upon a chariot and went out from Hastināpura, what did he say to him then? What consolations did Govinda offer to Karna, the charioteer’s son? At that time Kṛṣṇa, whose voice was deep like a rising thundercloud, spoke to Karna. Whether his words were gentle or sharp—tell me all of it, Sañjaya.”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames ethical counsel as potentially both gentle and severe: Krishna’s guidance to Karna is presented as truth that may comfort or cut, implying that dharma-oriented instruction is not merely soothing but aims to correct delusion, pride, and misaligned loyalties.
Dhritarashtra asks Sanjaya to recount what Krishna said to Karna when Krishna took him on a chariot out of Hastinapura. The king wants the full content of Krishna’s speech—whether mild or harsh—especially the consolations and persuasive counsel offered to Karna.