Shloka 23
Kuntī–Karṇa Saṃvāda: Lineage Disclosure and Appeal to Fraternal Dharma
चिन्तयन्ती बहुविधं हृदयेन विदूयता । बलाबलं च मन्त्राणां ब्राह्मणस्य च वाग्वलम्
cintayantī bahuvidhaṁ hṛdayena vidūyatā | balābalaṁ ca mantrāṇāṁ brāhmaṇasya ca vāgvalam, doṣaṁ pariharanti ca pituḥ snāritraya-rakṣiṇī | kathaṁ nu sukṛtaṁ me syān nāparādhavatī katham ||
ヴァイシャンパーヤナは語った。憂いに胸を灼かれた彼女は、さまざまに思い巡らした――真言（マントラ）の強さと弱さ、そしてバラモンの言葉がもつ抗いがたい力を量りつつ。あらゆる過失を退け、父の目にかなう貞き行いを守ろうとして、彼女はこう自問した。「いかにして功徳を得、いかにして咎めを受けぬ者となろうか。」
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights ethical vigilance: one should actively avoid doṣa (moral fault) and seek sukṛta (merit), while recognizing that powerful forces—like mantras and authoritative speech—can have consequences and therefore demand careful discernment.
The speaker describes a woman’s inner turmoil as she deliberates how to protect her reputation and righteousness before her father, weighing the potency of mantras and a brahmin’s words, and searching for a course that brings merit without incurring guilt.