Shloka 11
Adhyāya 2: Nārada’s Disclosure—Karṇa’s Training and the Brahmin’s Curse (Śānti-parva)
सम: शिष्येषु व: स्नेह: पुत्रे चैव तथा ध्रुवम् त्वत्प्रसादान्न मां ब्रूयुकृतास्त्रं विचक्षणा:
samaḥ śiṣyeṣu vaḥ snehaḥ putre caiva tathā dhruvam | tvatprasādān na māṃ brūyur kṛtāstraṃ vicakṣaṇāḥ ||
Nārada berkata: “Kasihmu kepada para murid adalah sama, dan kepada putramu pun demikian teguh. Dengan anugerahmu, jangan sampai orang bijak berkata bahwa aku tak terlatih dalam ilmu senjata. Karena itu aku ingin mengetahui Brahmāstra beserta rahasia pelepasan dan penarikannya, sebab aku ingin menghadapi Arjuna dalam perang secara setara.”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the ethical ideal of a teacher’s impartiality (sama-sneha) toward disciples and family, and frames advanced knowledge (like the Brahmāstra) as something sought through the guru’s grace and proper initiation—so that one’s competence is grounded in legitimate transmission rather than mere ambition or reputation.
Nārada addresses his teacher respectfully, appealing to the guru’s equal affection for all students and for his own son. He requests instruction in the Brahmāstra, specifically including the crucial method of both deploying and retracting it, motivated by a desire to face Arjuna in combat and to avoid being regarded by the wise as untrained in astras.