Shloka 31
यथान्यायं महातेजा मानी धर्मभूतां वर: । उत्स्मयन् प्रणत: प्राह कुन्तीं वैकर्तनो वृष:,धर्मात्माओंमें श्रेष्ठ अभिमानी और महातेजस्वी सूर्यपुत्र कर्ण जिसका दूसरा नाम वृष भी था, कुन्तीको यथोचित रीतिसे प्रणाम करके मुसकराता हुआ बोला
yathānyāyaṃ mahātejā mānī dharmabhūtāṃ varaḥ | utsmayan praṇataḥ prāha kuntīṃ vaikartano vṛṣaḥ ||
Então Karṇa —radiante de grande esplendor, altivo no porte e o primeiro entre os justos— aproximou-se de Kuntī conforme o decoro. Tendo-se inclinado com o devido respeito e sorrindo, Vaikartana (também chamado Vṛṣa) começou a falar. A cena sublinha a tensão ética entre honra pessoal, reverência filial e as exigências iminentes da guerra.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid grave conflict, dharma is expressed through proper conduct—humility, respectful speech, and honoring relationships. Karṇa’s courteous bow and composed smile highlight the ideal that ethical demeanor should not collapse under the pressure of political and martial crisis.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Karṇa (Vaikartana/Vṛṣa) approaches Kuntī, offers a formal salutation in accordance with propriety, and then begins speaking to her—setting the stage for a morally charged conversation about kinship, loyalty, and the coming war.