Shloka 19
Adhyāya 2: Nārada’s Disclosure—Karṇa’s Training and the Brahmin’s Curse (Śānti-parva)
उस पर्वतपर भृगुश्रेष्ठ परशुरामजीसे विधिपूर्वक धनुर्वेद सीखकर कर्ण उसका अभ्यास करने लगा। वह देवताओं, दानवों एवं राक्षसोंका अत्यन्त प्रिय हो गया ।।
sa kadācit samudrānte vicarann āśramāntike | ekaḥ khaḍga-dhanuṣ-pāṇiḥ paricakrāma sūryajaḥ ||
Di gunung itu, setelah mempelajari dhanurveda dengan tata cara yang semestinya dari Paraśurāma, yang utama di antara kaum Bhṛgu, Karṇa pun tekun berlatih. Ia menjadi sangat dikasihi oleh para dewa, para Dānava, dan para Rākṣasa. Pada suatu hari, Karṇa putra Surya berjalan seorang diri dekat sebuah āśrama di tepi laut, dengan busur-panah dan pedang di tangannya.
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ideal of sustained self-discipline for a kṣatriya: even in solitude and away from conflict, one remains vigilant, trained, and prepared. Ethically, it points to how character is formed through habitual practice rather than only through public acts.
Nārada describes Karṇa walking alone near a hermitage by the ocean, armed with bow and sword. It sets the scene for subsequent events by placing Karṇa in a liminal, quiet setting—close to ascetic space (āśrama) yet marked by martial identity (weapons).