Shloka 31
Kuntī–Karṇa Saṃvāda: Lineage Disclosure and Appeal to Fraternal Dharma
यथान्यायं महातेजा मानी धर्मभूतां वर: । उत्स्मयन् प्रणत: प्राह कुन्तीं वैकर्तनो वृष:
yathānyāyaṃ mahātejā mānī dharmabhūtāṃ varaḥ | utsmayan praṇataḥ prāha kuntīṃ vaikartano vṛṣaḥ ||
Entonces Karṇa —radiante de gran esplendor, altivo en su porte y el primero entre los justos— se acercó a Kuntī conforme al decoro. Tras inclinarse ante ella con el debido respeto y sonreír, Vaikartana (también llamado Vṛṣa) comenzó a hablar. La escena subraya la tensión ética entre el honor personal, la reverencia filial y las exigencias inminentes de la guerra.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid grave conflict, dharma is expressed through proper conduct—humility, respectful speech, and honoring relationships. Karṇa’s courteous bow and composed smile highlight the ideal that ethical demeanor should not collapse under the pressure of political and martial crisis.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Karṇa (Vaikartana/Vṛṣa) approaches Kuntī, offers a formal salutation in accordance with propriety, and then begins speaking to her—setting the stage for a morally charged conversation about kinship, loyalty, and the coming war.