Shloka 216
Gaṅgā-tīra Udaka-kriyā and Kuntī’s Disclosure of Karṇa’s Maternity
Strī-parva, Adhyāya 27
निधनेन हि कर्णस्य पीडितास्तु सबान्धवा: । “अहो! आपने इस गूढ़ रहस्यको छिपाकर हमलोगोंको मार डाला। कर्णकी मृत्युसे भाइयोंसहित हमें बड़ी पीड़ा हो रही है
nidhānena hi karṇasya pīḍitāstu sabāndhavāḥ | “aho! āpane isa gūḍha rahasyako chipākara hamalogoṃko mār ḍālā | karṇakī mṛtyuse bhāiyoṃsahita hameṃ baṛī pīṛā ho rahī hai”
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Dilanda pedih akibat kematian Karṇa, mereka bersama kaum kerabat meratap: “Aduhai! Dengan menyembunyikan rahsia yang mendalam ini, engkau telah membawa kebinasaan kepada kami. Kematian Karṇa menimpakan derita yang amat besar kepada kami, bersama saudara-saudara kami.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of concealed truth: withholding a crucial secret can intensify harm and later grief, turning loss into moral accusation and deepening collective suffering.
After Karṇa’s death, the mourners—along with their relatives—are overwhelmed by pain and cry out that a hidden, profound secret was kept from them, and that this concealment has effectively led to their ruin and unbearable sorrow.