Shloka 2
उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय १४१: कर्ण–कृष्णसंवादः, उत्पात-स्वप्न-लक्षणानि
Karna–Krishna Dialogue: Omens and Dream-Signs
श्रीभगवानुवाच अपि त्वां न लभेत् कर्ण राज्यलम्भोपपादनम् | मया दत्तां हि पृथिवीं न प्रशासितुमिच्छसि,श्रीभगवान् बोले--कर्ण! मैं जो राज्यकी प्राप्तिका उपाय बता रहा हूँ, जान पड़ता है वह तुम्हें ग्राह्म नहीं प्रतीत होता है। तुम मेरी दी हुई पृथ्वीका शासन नहीं करना चाहते हो
śrībhagavān uvāca: api tvāṃ na labhet karṇa rājyālambhopapādanam | mayā dattāṃ hi pṛthivīṃ na praśāsitum icchasi |
The Blessed Lord said: “Karna, it seems you do not accept the means I am setting forth for the attainment of sovereignty. You do not wish to govern the earth that I myself would place in your hands.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Legitimate power is meaningful only when accepted and exercised in alignment with dharma. The verse frames rulership as a moral responsibility: rejecting a just, peace-oriented path to sovereignty is portrayed as a refusal of ethical governance, not merely a strategic decision.
Kṛṣṇa (addressed as Śrībhagavān) speaks to Karna, urging him toward a course that would secure him kingship and the governance of the earth. Karna appears unwilling to accept the proposed means, signaling his continued commitment to the opposing side and the approaching conflict.