Shloka 25
Kuntī–Karṇa Saṃvāda: Lineage Disclosure and Appeal to Fraternal Dharma
यो5सौ कानीनगर्भों मे पुत्रवत् परिरक्षित: । कस्मान्न कुर्याद् वचन पथ्यं भ्रातृहितं तथा
yo 'sau kānīna-garbho me putravat parirakṣitaḥ | kasmān na kuryād vacanaṃ pathyaṃ bhrātṛ-hitaṃ tathā ||
Dijo Vaiśampāyana: «Este—mi hijo nacido cuando yo era doncella (kānīna)—a quien he protegido y criado como a un hijo propio: ¿por qué no habría Karṇa de aceptar mi consejo saludable, pronunciado también por el bien de sus hermanos?»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds ethical counsel (pathyam vacanam) and the expectation that one should heed advice aimed at the welfare of one’s kin (bhrātṛ-hita), regardless of complicated origins; gratitude and responsibility toward family are implied.
A speaker reflects on Karṇa as a ‘kānīna’ son whom she has raised like her own, and wonders why he would refuse her beneficial advice intended to secure the good of his brothers—hinting at the tension between Karṇa’s loyalties and his birth-identity.