Shloka 23
Kuntī–Karṇa Saṃvāda: Lineage Disclosure and Appeal to Fraternal Dharma
चिन्तयन्ती बहुविधं हृदयेन विदूयता । बलाबलं च मन्त्राणां ब्राह्मणस्य च वाग्वलम्
cintayantī bahuvidhaṁ hṛdayena vidūyatā | balābalaṁ ca mantrāṇāṁ brāhmaṇasya ca vāgvalam, doṣaṁ pariharanti ca pituḥ snāritraya-rakṣiṇī | kathaṁ nu sukṛtaṁ me syān nāparādhavatī katham ||
毗舍摩波耶那说：她心中忧苦如焚，百般思量——既衡量咒语之强弱，也顾及婆罗门言辞那不可违拗的威力。为求排除一切可能的过失，并在父亲眼中守护自身的贞行，她自问：“我当如何才能得福德，又当如何才不致受人指责？”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
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.
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.