Shloka 26
ऋषिसमागमः — युधिष्ठिरस्य शोकवर्णनम्
Sage Assembly and Yudhiṣṭhira’s Articulation of Grief
गता किल पृथा तस्य सकाशमिति न: श्रुतम्,सुननेमें आया है कि मेरी माता कुन्ती हमलोगोंमें संधि करानेकी इच्छासे उनके पास गयी थीं और उन्हें बताया था कि “तुम मेरे पुत्र हो।” परन्तु महामनस्वी कर्णने माता कुन्तीकी यह इच्छा पूरी नहीं की
gatā kila pṛthā tasya sakāśam iti naḥ śrutam | sandhiṃ kartum icchantī sā taṃ jagāda—“tvaṃ mama putraḥ” iti | kintu mahāmanāḥ karṇaḥ pṛthāyāḥ sāṃdhikām icchāṃ na pūrayām āsa ||
गता किल पृथा तस्य सकाशमिति नः श्रुतम्। अस्माकं सन्धिमिच्छन्ती तमुवाच—“त्वं मम पुत्रः” इति। परं महामनाः कर्णो मातुः कामं न पूरयामास।
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension between truth, kinship, and chosen loyalty: even when a mother reveals a hidden bond and seeks peace, a warrior may refuse if he believes his pledged allegiance and prior commitments must be upheld—showing how dharma can appear as competing duties rather than a single clear rule.
Yudhiṣṭhira recalls a report that Kuntī went to Karna to prevent conflict by proposing reconciliation and revealing that he was her son; despite this, Karna did not accept her request to make peace, and the war-bound course remained unchanged.