Shloka 8
भीष्मस्य दुर्योधनं प्रति कुलहितोपदेशः | Bhīṣma’s Counsel to Duryodhana on Dynastic Welfare
नवै मम हित पूर्व मातृवच्चेष्टितं त्वया । सा मां सम्बोधयस्यद्य केवलात्महितैषिणी
na vai mama hitaṃ pūrvaṃ mātṛ-vac ceṣṭitaṃ tvayā | sā māṃ sambodhayasy adya kevalātma-hitaiṣiṇī ||
«កាលពីមុន អ្នកមិនដែលខិតខំស្វែងរកប្រយោជន៍របស់ខ្ញុំដូចម្តាយម្នាក់ឡើយ។ តែថ្ងៃនេះ អ្នកមានតែការចង់បានប្រយោជន៍របស់ខ្លួន ហើយមកបង្រៀនខ្ញុំអំពីកាតព្វកិច្ចរបស់ខ្ញុំ»។
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension between timely responsibility and opportunistic counsel: moral advice loses credibility when it is offered late and appears motivated by self-interest rather than genuine care.
In Udyoga Parva, Kunti approaches Karna to persuade him to align with the Pandavas. Karna responds bitterly that she never acted like a mother for his welfare earlier, and that her present instruction seems driven by her own interests.