Shloka 147
आदि पर्व, अध्याय 67 — गान्धर्वविवाह-समयः
Duḥṣanta–Śakuntalā: Gandharva Marriage and Succession Condition
पुरा नाम च तस्यासीद् वसुषेण इति क्षितौ । ततो वैकर्तन: कर्ण: कर्मणा तेन सो5भवत्,पहले कर्णका नाम इस पृथ्वीपर वसुषेण था। फिर कवच और कुण्डल काटनेके कारण वह वैकर्तन नामसे प्रसिद्ध हुआ
purā nāma ca tasyāsīd vasuṣeṇa iti kṣitau | tato vaikartanaḥ karṇaḥ karmaṇā tena so 'bhavat ||
ಹಿಂದೆ ಈ ಭೂಮಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಅವನ ಹೆಸರು ವಸುಷೇಣ ಎಂದು ಇತ್ತು. ನಂತರ ಆ ಕರ್ಮದ ಕಾರಣದಿಂದ— ಕವಚ ಮತ್ತು ಕುಂಡಲಗಳನ್ನು ಕತ್ತರಿಸಿ ಕೊಟ್ಟುದರಿಂದ— ಕರ್ಣನು ‘ವೈಕರ್ತನ’ ಎಂಬ ಹೆಸರಿನಿಂದ ಪ್ರಸಿದ್ಧನಾದನು.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A person’s identity in society is often shaped by decisive actions (karma). Here, Karna’s later epithet ‘Vaikartana’ memorializes a morally weighty deed—cutting away his innate armor and earrings—showing how reputation becomes inseparable from action and its ethical implications.
Vaiśampāyana explains Karna’s naming: he was earlier called Vasuṣeṇa, and later became प्रसिद्ध as ‘Vaikartana’ because he cut off his kavaca and kuṇḍalas—an act that became defining enough to rename him.