Shloka 21
एतद् गुहाां महाराज सूर्यस्यासीन्न संशय: । यः सूर्यसम्भव: कर्ण: कुन्त्यां सूतकुले तथा,महाराज! निःसंदेह सूर्यका यही वह गुप्त रहस्य है कि कुन्तीके गर्भसे सूर्यद्वारा उत्पन्न कर्ण सूतकुलमें पला था
etad guhyaṃ mahārāja sūryasyāsīn na saṃśayaḥ | yaḥ sūryasambhavaḥ karṇaḥ kuntyāṃ sūtakule tathā, mahārāja! niḥsaṃdehaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Wahai maharaja, inilah benar-benar rahsia Sang Surya, tiada syak lagi: Karṇa, yang lahir daripada Surya melalui Kuntī, namun dibesarkan dalam kalangan sūta—kaum kusir kereta. Wahai raja, tentang hal ini tiada ketidakpastian.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the tension between true origin and social identity: Karṇa’s divine birth from Sūrya is a hidden truth, while his lived status is shaped by upbringing in the sūta community—raising ethical questions about judging worth by birth versus conduct and circumstance.
Vaiśaṃpāyana confirms to the king that the ‘secret of the Sun’ is Karṇa’s birth: though born to Kuntī through Sūrya, Karṇa was raised among the sūtas, and this fact is stated as certain.