Shloka 144
आदि पर्व, अध्याय 67 — गान्धर्वविवाह-समयः
Duḥṣanta–Śakuntalā: Gandharva Marriage and Succession Condition
तमिन्द्रो ब्राह्मणो भूत्वा पुत्रार्थे भूतभावन: । ययाचे कुण्डले वीर॑ कवचं च सहाड्गजजम्
tam indro brāhmaṇo bhūtvā putrārthe bhūtabhāvanaḥ | yayāce kuṇḍale vīra kavacaṃ ca sahāḍgajam ||
Dijo Vaiśaṃpāyana: Por el bien de su hijo, Indra —benefactor de los seres— tomó la apariencia de un brāhmaṇa y pidió al heroico Karṇa sus dos pendientes y la armadura nacida junto con su cuerpo.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the ethical complexity of dharma: even a god may employ disguise for a perceived higher aim (protecting his son), while a hero’s virtue is measured by steadfast generosity and honor under pressure. It invites reflection on whether ends justify means and how personal duty can conflict with fairness.
Indra, seeking to weaken Karṇa and thereby aid his son Arjuna, takes the form of a brāhmaṇa mendicant and asks Karṇa to give away his natural earrings and body-born armor—items that make Karṇa exceptionally formidable.