Shloka 493
अश्रमवासिनां विषादः — Lament in Hastināpura after the Elders’ Forest Withdrawal
प्रच्छन्नजातं पुत्र तं सस्मारादित्यसंनिभम् | जब गान्धारीने इस प्रकार कहा, तब व्रतसे दुर्बल मुखवाली कुन्तीने गुप्तरूपसे उत्पन्न हुए अपने सूर्यतुल्य तेजस्वी पुत्र कर्णका स्मरण किया
pracchannajātaṁ putra taṁ sasmārādityasaṁnibham |
毗舍婆耶那说道：当甘陀梨如此言说之时，昆蒂——因苦行而面容憔悴——暗自忆起她的儿子迦尔纳；他生于隐秘，却有如太阳般的光辉。
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when one has entered a life of restraint and austerity, unresolved ethical burdens—especially those involving concealment, truth, and parental duty—continue to demand inner reckoning. The verse highlights how dharma is not only public action but also private accountability and remembrance.
After Gāndhārī speaks, Kuntī—physically weakened by vows and austerities—silently recalls Karṇa, her secretly born son, described as sun-like in splendor. The narration frames Kuntī’s inward response as a poignant remembrance amid the post-war forest life.