Shloka 146
आदि पर्व, अध्याय 67 — गान्धर्वविवाह-समयः
Duḥṣanta–Śakuntalā: Gandharva Marriage and Succession Condition
देवासुरमनुष्याणां गन्धर्वोरगरक्षसाम् । यस्मिन् क्षेप्स्यसि दुर्धर्ष स एको न भविष्यति,कर्णने अपने शरीरमें चिपके हुए कवच और कुण्डलोंको उधेड़कर दे दिया। इन्द्रने विस्मित होकर कर्णको एक शक्ति प्रदान की और कहा--दुर्धर्ष वीर! तुम देवता, असुर, मनुष्य, गन्धर्व, नाग और राक्षसोंमेंसे जिसपर भी इस शक्तिको चलाओगे, वह एक व्यक्ति निश्चय ही अपने प्राणोंसे हाथ धो बैठेगा”
devāsura-manuṣyāṇāṁ gandharvoraga-rakṣasām | yasmin kṣepsyasi durdharṣa sa eko na bhaviṣyati ||
“Wahai pahlawan yang tak tertaklukkan! Di antara para dewa, asura, manusia, gandharva, nāga, dan rākṣasa— siapa pun yang kau lempar dengan senjata ini, satu orang itu tidak akan selamat.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the moral weight of dāna (self-giving) and the complex ethics of power: Karṇa’s generosity elicits a divine reward, yet the reward is constrained to a single lethal use, underscoring that boons can carry limits and consequences, and that extraordinary power demands restraint and discernment.
After Karṇa gives away his innate armor and earrings, Indra—astonished—grants him a śakti (divine missile). Indra declares that among all classes of beings, whoever is targeted by this weapon will certainly die, but the boon is effectively framed as a single decisive kill.