Shloka 23

Devanagari script

कर्ण उवाच श्रेय एव ममात्यन्तं यस्य मे गोपति: प्रभु: । प्रवक्ताद्य हितान्वेषी शृणु चेदं वचो मम,कर्णने कहा--जिसके हितका अनुसंधान साक्षात्‌ भगवान्‌ सूर्य करते और हितकी बात बताते हैं, उस कर्णका तो परम कल्याण है ही। भगवन्‌! आप मेरी यह बात सुनें

Transliteration

Karṇa uvāca: śreya eva mamātyantaṁ yasya me gopatiḥ prabhuḥ | pravaktādya hitānveṣī śṛṇu cedam vaco mama ||

Translation

Karna said: “Indeed, my welfare is assured—since my lord, the Sun, is my protector and master, and today he himself, seeking my good, has come to counsel me. O revered one, please listen to these words of mine.”

Word by Word

• {'śreyaḥ': 'highest good

• spiritual and ethical benefit', 'eva': 'indeed

• emphatic particle', 'mama': 'of me

• my', 'atyantam': 'utterly

• in the highest degree', 'yasya': 'for whom

• whose', 'me': 'to me

• of me', 'gopatiḥ': 'protector and lord (lit. ‘lord of protection/cattle’)

• guardian', 'prabhuḥ': 'lord

• powerful master', 'pravaktā': 'speaker

• one who declares (counsel)', 'adya': 'today

• now', 'hita-anveṣī': 'seeking what is beneficial

• well-wisher', 'śṛṇu': 'listen (imperative)', 'ca': 'and', 'idam': 'this', 'vacaḥ': 'speech

• words', 'mama (vaco mama)': 'my (words)

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Karṇa
• Sūrya (the Sun-god)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Karna frames true welfare (śreyaḥ) as being guided by a genuine well-wisher. The verse highlights an ethical ideal: counsel should be sought and valued when it is motivated by hita—benefit and moral good—especially when it comes from a rightful protector or revered authority.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna speaks respectfully, acknowledging the Sun-god as his lord and protector and noting that the deity has come as a well-wisher to advise him. Karna then asks the revered figure to listen to his own response, setting up a dialogue of counsel and decision.