Shloka 8
जतुगृहदाहः — The Burning of the Lac House and the Pāṇḍavas’ Concealed Escape
सो<ब्रवीन्मेघगम्भीरस्वरेण वदतां वर: । भ्राता भ्रातरमज्ञातं सावित्र: पाकशासनिम्,इतनेमें ही वक्ताओंमें श्रेष्ठ सूर्यपुत्र कर्ण, जो पाण्डवोंका भाई लगता था, अपने अज्ञात भ्राता इन्द्रकुमार अर्जुनसे मेघके समान गम्भीर वाणीमें बोला--
so 'bravīn meghagambhīrasvareṇa vadatāṃ varaḥ | bhrātā bhrātaram ajñātaṃ sāvitraḥ pākaśāsanim ||
Dijo Vaiśampāyana: Entonces Karṇa—hijo de Sūrya, el más eminente entre los oradores—se dirigió con voz profunda como nube de trueno a su propio hermano, aunque sin reconocerlo: Arjuna, hijo de Indra, castigador de Pāka. El instante revela la trágica ironía de un parentesco oculto por el destino, donde la rivalidad y el deber mueven a los hombres a hablar y obrar sin advertir los lazos que deberían contenerlos.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tragedy that dharma and rivalry can unfold under ignorance of true relationships: when identity is concealed, even brothers may confront each other as enemies, and speech becomes a vehicle of destiny rather than familial restraint.
The narrator describes Karṇa beginning to address Arjuna. Karṇa is portrayed as an exceptional orator speaking in a thunder-deep voice, while the text stresses that Arjuna is actually his brother—unknown to him—thereby foreshadowing the painful consequences of their conflict.