Shloka 11
Adhyāya 2: Nārada’s Disclosure—Karṇa’s Training and the Brahmin’s Curse (Śānti-parva)
सम: शिष्येषु व: स्नेह: पुत्रे चैव तथा ध्रुवम् त्वत्प्रसादान्न मां ब्रूयुकृतास्त्रं विचक्षणा:,“गुरुदेव! मैं ब्रह्मासत्रको उसके छोड़ने और लौटानेके रहस्यसहित जानना चाहता हूँ। मेरी इच्छा है कि मैं अर्जुनके साथ युद्ध करूँ। निश्चय ही आपका सभी शिष्यों और पुत्रपर बराबर स्नेह है। आपकी कृपासे विद्वान् पुरुष यह न कहें कि यह सभी अस्त्रोंका ज्ञाता नहीं है!
samaḥ śiṣyeṣu vaḥ snehaḥ putre caiva tathā dhruvam | tvatprasādān na māṃ brūyur kṛtāstraṃ vicakṣaṇāḥ ||
नारद उवाच— समः शिष्येषु वः स्नेहः पुत्रे चैव तथा ध्रुवम्। त्वत्प्रसादान्न मां ब्रूयुः कृतास्त्रं विचक्षणाः। ब्रह्मास्त्रं वेत्तुमिच्छामि स-रहस्य-प्रमोचनम्; अर्जुनेन समं योधुं कामयेऽहं गुरो विभो॥
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the ethical ideal of a teacher’s impartiality (sama-sneha) toward disciples and family, and frames advanced knowledge (like the Brahmāstra) as something sought through the guru’s grace and proper initiation—so that one’s competence is grounded in legitimate transmission rather than mere ambition or reputation.
Nārada addresses his teacher respectfully, appealing to the guru’s equal affection for all students and for his own son. He requests instruction in the Brahmāstra, specifically including the crucial method of both deploying and retracting it, motivated by a desire to face Arjuna in combat and to avoid being regarded by the wise as untrained in astras.