Shloka 13

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच यदान्यं न वरं वव्रे भगवान्‌ पाकशासन: । ततः प्रहस्य कर्णस्तं पुनरित्यब्रवीद्‌ वच:,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! इतना अनुनय-विनय करनेपर भी जब पाकशासन भगवान्‌ इन्द्रने दूसरा कोई वर नहीं माँगा, तब कर्णने हँसकर पुनः इस प्रकार कहा--

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | yadānyaṃ na varaṃ vavre bhagavān pākaśāsanaḥ | tataḥ prahasya karṇas taṃ punar ity abravīd vacaḥ ||

Translation

Dijo Vaiśampāyana: Cuando el bienaventurado Pākaśāsana (Indra), pese a nuevas súplicas, no escogió ningún otro don, entonces Karṇa, sonriendo, volvió a dirigirse a él con estas palabras.

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaiśampāyana

उवाचsaid

यदाwhen

अन्यम्another

नnot

वरम्boon

वव्रेchose/asked for

भगवान्the revered one

पाकशासनःPākaśāsana (Indra, 'chastiser of Pāka')

ततःthen/thereupon

प्रहस्यhaving laughed

कर्णःKarna

तम्him

पुनःagain

इतिthus

अब्रवीत्said/spoke

वचःwords/speech

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Karṇa

Pākaśāsana (Indra)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights steadfastness in one’s pledged generosity: even when a powerful figure seeks an alternative outcome, Karṇa’s composure and resolve suggest that ethical commitment (especially to a vow of giving) should not be easily bent by pressure, status, or fear.

What is happening in the narrative?

Indra (Pākaśāsana), after being urged to ask for some other boon, does not request an alternative. Seeing this, Karṇa smiles and speaks again—setting up the next lines where Karṇa continues the exchange and clarifies his stance.