Shloka 256
नाहं न भीमो न यमौ स त्वस्मान् वेद सुव्रत: । कुन्तीनन्दन श्वेतवाहन अर्जुन भी उन्हें भाईके रूपमें नहीं जानते थे। मुझको, भीमसेनको तथा नकुल-सहदेवको भी इस बातका पता नहीं था; किंतु उत्तम व्रतका पालन करनेवाले कर्ण हमें अपने भाईके रूपमें जानते थे
nāhaṃ na bhīmo na yamau sa tv asmān veda suvrataḥ | kuntīnandana śvetavāhana arjuna ||
Yudhiṣṭhira disse: “Nem eu, nem Bhīma, nem os gêmeos (Nakula e Sahadeva) sabíamos disso. Mas Karṇa — homem de votos excelentes — sabia que éramos seus irmãos. Ó filho de Kuntī, ó Arjuna dos corcéis brancos!”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of hidden identity and kinship: ignorance can be blameless, but knowledge carries responsibility. Karna’s awareness of brotherhood intensifies the tragedy of conflict and raises questions of dharma—how one should act when loyalty, truth, and family obligations collide.
Yudhiṣṭhira tells Arjuna that the Pandavas (Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīma, Nakula, Sahadeva) did not know Karna was their brother, whereas Karna did know. He addresses Arjuna with epithets, underscoring that this disclosure is being shared within the brothers’ counsel in the aftermath context of Śānti Parva.