Shloka 9
कर्ण–कृष्णसंवादः (Karṇa–Kṛṣṇa-saṃvādaḥ) — Karṇa’s Statement on Lineage, Loyalty, and the ‘Śastra-yajña’ Metaphor
सो5सि कर्ण तथा जात: पाण्डो: पुत्रोडसि धर्मतः । निग्रहाद् धर्मशास्त्राणामेहि राजा भविष्यसि
so 'si karṇa tathā jātaḥ pāṇḍoḥ putro 'si dharmataḥ | nigrahād dharmaśāstrāṇām ehi rājā bhaviṣyasi, karṇa ||
“You are Karṇa, born in that very manner; and by the rule of dharma you are indeed Pāṇḍu’s son. Therefore come—by the settled determination of the dharma-śāstras, you shall become king, O Karṇa.”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma is presented as a normative authority that can determine social and political legitimacy: if one’s status is established ‘dharmataḥ’ (by dharma), then rightful duty and rightful claim (here, kingship) should be accepted even when personally difficult.
Vāyudeva addresses Karṇa, asserting that by dharma he is to be regarded as Pāṇḍu’s son, and urges him to come forward and accept the kingship that would follow from that lawful recognition—an attempt to redirect Karṇa’s allegiance and the impending conflict.