Shloka 8
Svargārohaṇa-parva Adhyāya 2 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry for His Kin and the Vision of a Punitive Realm
दृष्टवैव तौ नानुगतः कर्ण परबलार्दनम् | न हस्मान् कर्णसहितान् जयेच्छक्रोडपि संयुगे,देवताओ! यह सोचकर तो मैं और भी पश्चात्ताप करता रहता हूँ कि “महामना कर्णके दोनों चरणोंको माता कुन्तीके चरणोंके समान देखकर भी मैं क्यों नहीं शत्रुदलमर्दन कर्णका अनुगामी हो गया?” यदि कर्ण हमारे साथ होते तो हमें इन्द्र भी युद्धमें परास्त नहीं कर सकते
dṛṣṭvaiva tau nānugataḥ karṇa-parabalārdanam | na hasmān karṇa-sahitān jayet śakro 'pi saṃyuge ||
Disse Yudhiṣṭhira: “Mesmo depois de ver aqueles dois pés—como os pés da própria Mãe Kuntī—por que não me tornei seguidor de Karṇa, o esmagador das forças inimigas? Este pensamento apenas aprofunda o meu remorso. Se Karṇa tivesse estado do nosso lado, nem mesmo Indra teria podido derrotar-nos em combate.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of recognition and allegiance: Yudhiṣṭhira’s remorse suggests that failing to honor true kinship and merit (Karna’s greatness and his bond to Kuntī) can become a lasting moral burden, especially when judged against the catastrophic costs of war.
In the aftermath of the great war and on the path toward the end of their earthly journey, Yudhiṣṭhira reflects on Karṇa. He laments that despite perceiving signs of Karṇa’s true connection to Kuntī, he did not draw Karṇa to their side; he then underscores Karṇa’s formidable power by saying that with Karṇa allied to them, even Indra would not have prevailed in battle.