Shloka 7
कुन्ती–कर्णसंवादः
Kuntī–Karṇa Dialogue: Loyalty, Fate, and Constrained Assurance
एतदू धर्मफल पुत्र नराणां धर्मनिश्चये । यत् तुष्यन्त्यस्य पितरो माता चाप्येकदर्शिनी,बेटा! धर्मशास्त्रमें मनुष्योंके लिये यही धर्मका उत्तम फल बताया गया है कि उनके पिता आदि गुरुजन तथा एकमात्र पुत्रपर ही दृष्टि रखनेवाली माता उनसे संतुष्ट रहें
etad dharma-phalaṃ putra narāṇāṃ dharma-niścaye | yat tuṣyanty asya pitaro mātā cāpy eka-darśinī ||
Karna said: “My son, this is declared in the Dharmaśāstras to be the highest fruit of dharma for men who seek to determine what is righteous: that one’s fathers and other revered elders, and also one’s mother—who fixes her gaze upon her only son—remain satisfied with him.”
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that a prime measure and ‘fruit’ of dharma is conduct that brings genuine satisfaction to one’s parents and revered elders—especially the mother devoted to her only son—indicating filial responsibility as a key ethical criterion.
Karna is instructing his son, framing dharma in practical terms: when judging what is right, one should value actions that uphold family duties and earn the approval of parents and elders.