Shloka 8
सो<ब्रवीन्मेघगम्भीरस्वरेण वदतां वर: । भ्राता भ्रातरमज्ञातं सावित्र: पाकशासनिम्,इतनेमें ही वक्ताओंमें श्रेष्ठ सूर्यपुत्र कर्ण, जो पाण्डवोंका भाई लगता था, अपने अज्ञात भ्राता इन्द्रकुमार अर्जुनसे मेघके समान गम्भीर वाणीमें बोला--
so 'bravīn meghagambhīrasvareṇa vadatāṃ varaḥ | bhrātā bhrātaram ajñātaṃ sāvitraḥ pākaśāsanim ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Then Karṇa—son of Sūrya, foremost among speakers—addressed in a voice deep as thunderclouds his own brother, though unknown to him: Arjuna, the son of Indra, the chastiser of Pāka. The moment underscores the tragic irony of kinship concealed by fate, where rivalry and duty move men to speak and act without recognizing the bonds that ought to restrain them.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tragedy that dharma and rivalry can unfold under ignorance of true relationships: when identity is concealed, even brothers may confront each other as enemies, and speech becomes a vehicle of destiny rather than familial restraint.
The narrator describes Karṇa beginning to address Arjuna. Karṇa is portrayed as an exceptional orator speaking in a thunder-deep voice, while the text stresses that Arjuna is actually his brother—unknown to him—thereby foreshadowing the painful consequences of their conflict.