Shloka 23

Devanagari script

यदा च कर्णों राजेन्द्र भानुमन्तं दिवाकरम्‌ | स्तौति मध्यन्दिने प्राप्ते प्राजजलि: सलिले स्थित:

Transliteration

yadā ca karṇo rājendra bhānumantaṃ divākaram | stauti madhyandine prāpte prāñjaliḥ salile sthitaḥ ||

Translation

Dijo Vaiśampāyana: «Y cuando Karṇa, oh rey, al llegar el mediodía, se mantiene de pie en el agua con las manos juntas en reverencia y entona himnos al radiante Sol—el hacedor del día—cumple su rito cotidiano de devoción y disciplina, honrando la fuente de la luz y del orden.»

Word by Word

यदाwhen

चand

कर्णःKarna

राजेन्द्रO king of kings

भानुमन्तम्the radiant one

दिवाकरम्the Sun (day-maker)

स्तौतिpraises

मध्यन्दिनेat midday

प्राप्तेwhen (it) has arrived

प्राजलिःwith joined palms

सलिलेin water

स्थितःstanding

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Karṇa

Sūrya (Bhānumān/Divākara)

Rājendra (the addressed king, i.e., Janamejaya in context)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights disciplined devotion: honoring the Sun through a regular midday rite, performed with humility (joined palms) and purity (standing in water), reflecting steadiness in duty and reverence for cosmic order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes Karṇa’s customary practice: at midday he stands in water and praises the Sun (Bhānumān/Divākara), indicating his steadfast ritual observance and devotion to his divine father.