Shloka 17
Adhyāya 2: Nārada’s Disclosure—Karṇa’s Training and the Brahmin’s Curse (Śānti-parva)
तत्र कर्णस्य वसतो महेन्द्रे स्वर्गसंनिभे । गन्धर्व राक्षसैर्यक्षैदेवैजश्ञासीत्ू समागम:
tatra karṇasya vasato mahendre svargasaṃnibhe | gandharvarākṣasairyākṣaidevaiś ca samāgamaḥ ||
Di sana, ketika Karṇa tinggal di Mahendra—gemilang bagaikan syurga—dia berulang kali berpeluang bertemu dan bergaul dengan para Gandharva, Rākṣasa, Yakṣa, bahkan para dewa. Petikan ini menegaskan suasana luar biasa, seakan-akan alam kayangan yang mengelilingi Karṇa, menandakan hidupnya disentuh oleh pergaulan dengan kuasa-kuasa adimanusia serta beban moral yang tersirat apabila berada dekat dengan yang ilahi.
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how a person’s life can be shaped by environments and associations that are larger than the human sphere; proximity to the divine and the extraordinary implies heightened responsibility and the moral significance of one’s conduct (dharma) amid power and privilege.
Nārada describes Karṇa residing on the heaven-like Mahendra mountain, where he frequently encounters various superhuman beings—Gandharvas, Rākṣasas, Yakṣas, and gods—indicating an elevated, otherworldly setting around him.