Shloka 2
Chapter 61: Karṇa’s martial assurances and Bhīṣma’s strategic rebuttal in the Kuru assembly
मिथ्या प्रतिज्ञाय मया यदस्त्रं रामात् कृतं ब्रह्ममयं पुरस्तात् | विज्ञाय तेनास्मि तदैवमुक्त- स््ते नान्तकाले प्रतिभास्यतीति
mithyā pratijñāya mayā yad astraṃ rāmāt kṛtaṃ brahmamayaṃ purastāt | vijñāya tenāsmi tadaivam uktaḥ te nāntakāle pratibhāsyatīti |
“ରାଜନ୍! ପୂର୍ବେ ମୁଁ ମିଥ୍ୟାରେ ନିଜକୁ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣ ବୋଲି କହି ରାମ (ପରଶୁରାମ)ଙ୍କଠାରୁ ବ୍ରହ୍ମମୟ ଅସ୍ତ୍ର ଶିକ୍ଷା ପାଇଥିଲି। କିନ୍ତୁ ସେ ମୋର ସତ୍ୟ ପରିଚୟ ଜାଣି ସେହିକ୍ଷଣେ କହିଲେ— ‘ଅନ୍ତକାଳେ ଏହା (ବ୍ରହ୍ମାସ୍ତ୍ର) ତୋର ସ୍ମୃତିରେ ଉଦିତ ହେବ ନାହିଁ।’”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Power gained through falsehood carries an ethical cost: the very knowledge acquired by deceit becomes unreliable, failing at the decisive moment. The verse frames this as a moral law expressed through Paraśurāma’s curse—untruth undermines one’s own strength.
Karna recounts that he obtained instruction in the Brahmāstra from Paraśurāma by pretending to be a Brahmin. When Paraśurāma realized Karna’s true identity, he cursed him that, at the final crisis (the end-time), the Brahmāstra would not come to Karna’s memory.