Shloka 22
उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय १४० (कृष्णेन कर्णं प्रति पाण्डवबल-वैशिष्ट्यप्रदर्शनम्) / Udyoga Parva, Chapter 140
Krishna’s appraisal of Pandava advantage and war portents
अपनी इन्द्रियोंको संयममें रखनेवाले धर्मात्मा राजा युधिष्ठिर यदि यह जान लेंगे कि मैं (कर्ण) कुन्तीका प्रथम पुत्र हूँ, तब वे राज्य ग्रहण नहीं करेंगे ।। प्राप्प चापि महद् राज्यं तदहं मधुसूदन । स्फीतं दुर्योधनायैव सम्प्रदद्यामरिंदम,शत्रुदमन मधुसूदन! उस दशामें मैं उस समृद्धिशाली विशाल राज्यको पाकर भी दुर्योधनको ही सौंप दूँगा
dharmātmā rājā yudhiṣṭhiraḥ saṃyatendriyaḥ yadi jānīyāt yathāhaṃ (karṇaḥ) kuntīyāḥ prathamaḥ putraḥ, tadā sa rājyaṃ na gṛhṇīyāt. prāpya cāpi mahad rājyaṃ tad ahaṃ madhusūdana, sphītaṃ duryodhanāyaiva sampradadyām arindama.
Jika Raja Yudhiṣṭhira yang berhati dharma dan mampu mengekang indria mengetahui bahwa aku adalah putra sulung Kunti, maka ia akan menolak menerima kerajaan. Dan wahai Madhusūdana, penakluk musuh, sekalipun kerajaan yang luas dan makmur itu jatuh ke tanganku, akan kuserahkan juga hanya kepada Duryodhana.
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage contrasts two ethical impulses: Yudhiṣṭhira’s dharma-driven reluctance to claim power when it would violate rightful order, and Karṇa’s vow-bound loyalty that makes him relinquish even a legitimate kingdom. It highlights how dharma can appear as restraint (refusing a throne) and as fidelity (keeping one’s pledged allegiance), even when both entail personal loss.
During the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war negotiations, Karṇa speaks to Kṛṣṇa. He anticipates that if Yudhiṣṭhira learns Karṇa is Kuntī’s firstborn, Yudhiṣṭhira would decline the kingdom out of righteousness. Karṇa then declares that even if he himself gained that great realm, he would still transfer it to Duryodhana, reaffirming his chosen side before the Kurukṣetra war.