Shloka 8
Svargārohaṇa-parva Adhyāya 2 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry for His Kin and the Vision of a Punitive Realm
दृष्टवैव तौ नानुगतः कर्ण परबलार्दनम् | न हस्मान् कर्णसहितान् जयेच्छक्रोडपि संयुगे
dṛṣṭvaiva tau nānugataḥ karṇa-parabalārdanam | na hasmān karṇa-sahitān jayet śakro 'pi saṃyuge ||
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Bahkan setelah melihat kedua kaki itu—laksana kaki Ibu Kuntī sendiri—mengapa aku tidak menjadi pengikut Karṇa, penghancur kekuatan lawan? Pikiran inilah yang kian memperdalam penyesalanku. Seandainya Karṇa berada di pihak kami, bahkan Śakra (Indra) pun takkan mampu mengalahkan kami dalam pertempuran.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of recognition and allegiance: Yudhiṣṭhira’s remorse suggests that failing to honor true kinship and merit (Karna’s greatness and his bond to Kuntī) can become a lasting moral burden, especially when judged against the catastrophic costs of war.
In the aftermath of the great war and on the path toward the end of their earthly journey, Yudhiṣṭhira reflects on Karṇa. He laments that despite perceiving signs of Karṇa’s true connection to Kuntī, he did not draw Karṇa to their side; he then underscores Karṇa’s formidable power by saying that with Karṇa allied to them, even Indra would not have prevailed in battle.