Shloka 23

Kuntī–Karṇa Saṃvāda: Lineage Disclosure and Appeal to Fraternal Dharma

Devanagari script

चिन्तयन्ती बहुविधं हृदयेन विदूयता । बलाबलं च मन्त्राणां ब्राह्मणस्य च वाग्वलम्‌

Transliteration

cintayantī bahuvidhaṁ hṛdayena vidūyatā | balābalaṁ ca mantrāṇāṁ brāhmaṇasya ca vāgvalam, doṣaṁ pariharanti ca pituḥ snāritraya-rakṣiṇī | kathaṁ nu sukṛtaṁ me syān nāparādhavatī katham ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana nói: Lòng nàng bừng cháy trong khổ não, nàng suy nghĩ trăm bề—cân nhắc cả sức mạnh lẫn chỗ yếu của thần chú, và uy lực khó cưỡng của lời một vị Bà-la-môn. Muốn gạt bỏ mọi điều có thể thành lỗi và giữ gìn hạnh kiểm trước mắt phụ thân, nàng tự hỏi: “Làm sao để được công đức, và làm sao để không trở thành kẻ đáng trách?”

Word by Word

• चिन्तयन्ती: thinking
• चिन्तयन्ती: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त्
• Form: Present participle (Parasmaipada), Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• बहु-विधम्: in many ways / variously
• बहु-विधम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहुविध
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• हृदयेन: with (my) heart
• हृदयेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृदय
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• विदूयता: being tormented / distressed
• विदूयता: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विदूयत्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• बल-अबलम्: strength and weakness (pros and cons)
• बल-अबलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलाबल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• मन्त्राणाम्: of mantras
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• ब्राह्मणस्य: of the brahmin
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• वाक्-बलम्: power of speech
• वाक्-बलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाग्बल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• दोषम्: fault / blame
• दोषम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोष
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• परिहरन्ती: avoiding / warding off
• परिहरन्ती: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-हृ
• Form: Present participle (Parasmaipada), Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• पितुः: of (my) father
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• नारीत्रय-रक्षिणी: protector of the threefold womanly virtues (i.e., modesty etc.)
• नारीत्रय-रक्षिणी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारीत्रयरक्षिणी
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• कथम्: how?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

• नु: indeed / then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नु

• सुकृतम्: merit / good deed
• सुकृतम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुकृत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• मे: for me / of me
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• स्यात्: might be / may become
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

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

• अपराध-वती: guilty / at fault
• अपराध-वती: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपराधवत्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• कथम्: how?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• brāhmaṇa
• mantra
• father (pituḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights ethical vigilance: one should actively avoid doṣa (moral fault) and seek sukṛta (merit), while recognizing that powerful forces—like mantras and authoritative speech—can have consequences and therefore demand careful discernment.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker describes a woman’s inner turmoil as she deliberates how to protect her reputation and righteousness before her father, weighing the potency of mantras and a brahmin’s words, and searching for a course that brings merit without incurring guilt.