Shloka 163
Svargārohaṇa-parva, Adhyāya 4 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Vision of the Celestial Assembly
Recognition and Explanation
“ये रहे तुम्हारे बड़े भाई कुन्तीकुमार कर्ण जो अग्नितुल्य तेजसे प्रकाशित हो रहे हैं। ये ही सूतपुत्रोंके श्रेष्ठ अग्रज थे और ये ही राधापुत्रके नामसे विख्यात हुए थे ।। आदित्यसहितो याति पश्यैनं पुरुषर्षभम् । “इन पुरुषप्रवर कर्णका दर्शन करो, ये आदित्योंके साथ जा रहे हैं
ye rāhe tumhāre baḍe bhrātā kuntīkumāraḥ karṇaḥ yo 'gnitulyena tejasā prakāśitaḥ. sa eva sūtaputrāṇāṃ śreṣṭho 'grajaḥ, sa eva rādhāputra-nāmnā vikhyātaḥ. ādityasahito yāti, paśyainaṃ puruṣarṣabham. enaṃ puruṣapravaraṃ karṇaṃ darśayata; sa ādityaiḥ saha gacchati.
Vaiśampāyana said: “Behold your elder brother Karṇa, Kuntī’s son, blazing with fire-like splendour. He was the foremost elder among the sons of the charioteer, and he was famed by the name ‘Rādhā’s son’. See that bull among men—he goes in the company of the Ādityas. Look upon that best of men, Karṇa, as he proceeds with the solar deities.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage underscores that a person’s deeper identity and merit can transcend social labels: Karṇa, known publicly as a sūta’s son and as Rādhā’s child, is also Kuntī’s son and is shown receiving a luminous, divine association with the Ādityas—suggesting recognition of his inner worth and the moral complexity of judging by birth alone.
In the Svargarohana (ascent to heaven) context, Vaiśampāyana points out Karṇa to the onlookers as a radiant figure. Karṇa is seen proceeding together with the Ādityas, indicating his honored place in the celestial order and revealing his stature beyond the conflicts and misunderstandings of earthly life.