Shloka 31
पाण्डोः तपः-प्रसङ्गः, ऋण-धर्मः, अपत्य-प्राप्ति-चिन्ता
Pāṇḍu’s Asceticism, the Doctrine of Debts, and Deliberations on Progeny
प्राड़ नाम तस्य कथितं वसुषेण इति क्षितौ । कर्णो वैकर्तनश्वैव कर्मणा तेन सो5भवत्,पहले इस पृथ्वीपर उसका नाम वसुषेण कहा जाता था। तत्पश्चात् अपने शरीरसे कवचको कतर डालनेके कारण वह कर्ण और वैकर्तन नामसे भी प्रसिद्ध हुआ
prāg nāma tasya kathitaṃ vasuṣeṇa iti kṣitau | karṇo vaikartanaś caiva karmaṇā tena so 'bhavat ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Formerly, on this earth, his name was spoken of as Vasuṣeṇa. Later, because of that deed—cutting away the natural armor from his own body—he became renowned by the names Karṇa and also Vaikartana. The verse highlights how a person’s identity in the epic is shaped not merely by birth, but by actions that carry moral weight and lasting consequence.
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores that a person’s enduring identity is often determined by karma (notable deeds). Names and epithets in the Mahābhārata function as moral-historical markers: Karṇa is remembered not only by lineage but by an action—cutting away his innate armor—that becomes ethically significant and defines his reputation.
Vaiśaṃpāyana explains Karṇa’s earlier name (Vasuṣeṇa) and how, due to a particular act—removing/cutting off his bodily armor—he came to be widely known as Karṇa and as Vaikartana (the 'cutter'). This situates Karṇa’s later fame within a chain of narrated causes.