Shloka 2

कर्ण–कृष्णसंवादः (Karṇa–Kṛṣṇa-saṃvādaḥ) — Karṇa’s Statement on Lineage, Loyalty, and the ‘Śastra-yajña’ Metaphor

Devanagari script

किमब्रवीदमेयात्मा राधेयं परवीरहा । कानि सान्त्वानि गोविन्द: सूतपुत्रे प्रयुक्तवान्‌

Transliteration

kim abravīd ameyātmā rādheyaṁ paravīrahā | kāni sāntvāni govindaḥ sūtaputre prayuktavān |

Translation

Dhṛtarāṣṭra perguntou: “Que disse Rādheya (Karna), de alma incomensurável, o matador dos heróis inimigos? E que palavras de conciliação empregou Govinda (Kṛṣṇa) para com o filho do cocheiro?”

Word by Word

किम्what

अब्रवीत्said/spoke

अमेयात्माone of immeasurable nature (immeasurable-souled)

राधेयम्Radheya (Karna)

परवीरहाslayer of enemy-heroes

कानिwhich/what (things)

सान्त्वानिconciliatory words, pacifications

गोविन्दःGovinda (Krishna)

सूतपुत्रेin/unto the charioteer’s son (Karna)

प्रयुक्तवान्employed/used/applied

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Rādheya (Karṇa)

Govinda (Kṛṣṇa)

Sūtaputra (Karṇa)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical role of sāntva (conciliation) before violence: even when war seems inevitable, righteous leadership first seeks persuasion and reconciliation, testing whether pride, loyalty, and social identity can be redirected toward dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra inquires about the dialogue between Kṛṣṇa and Karṇa—specifically, what Karṇa replied and what conciliatory arguments Kṛṣṇa used—situating the scene within pre-war negotiations and attempts to avert or morally frame the coming conflict.