Shloka 23

Devanagari script

कर्ण उवाच जानाम्येव महाबाहो सर्वमेतन्न संशय: । यथा वदसि मे भीष्म कौन्तेयो5हं न सूतज:

Transliteration

karṇa uvāca: jānāmyeva mahābāho sarvam etan na saṁśayaḥ | yathā vadasi me bhīṣma kaunteyo ’haṁ na sūtajaḥ ||

Translation

கர்ணன் கூறினான்—மகாபாஹு பீஷ்மரே! நீங்கள் சொல்வதனைத்தையும் நான் அறிவேன்; இதில் ஐயமில்லை. நீங்கள் சொல்வதுபோலவே—நான் குந்தியின் மகன்; சூதனின் மகன் அல்லன்.

Word by Word

• कर्णः: Karna
• कर्णः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• जानामि: I know
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा
• Form: Present, 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• महाबाहो: O mighty-armed one
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाबाहु
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• न: not/no
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यथा: as/just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• वदसि: you say
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद्
• Form: Present, 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Dative, Singular, —

• भीष्म: O Bhishma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• कौन्तेयः: son of Kunti
• कौन्तेयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौन्तेय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Nominative, Singular, —

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• सूतजः: son of a charioteer (Suta-born)
• सूतजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूतज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Karna
• Bhishma
• Kunti

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds satya (truthfulness) and the moral weight of acknowledging one’s real identity, even when social labels (like ‘sūta-putra’) have shaped one’s public life and honor.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Bhishma Parva context, Bhishma addresses Karna about his true birth. Karna responds that he already knows the truth without doubt: he is Kunti’s son (thus of royal lineage), not the son of a sūta.