Mahabharata, Book 5, Section CXLVउद्योगपर्व

Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 5.145.

145Sanskrit adhyāya 5.145 · Sanskrit source · English source

Sanskrit

कर्ण उवाच।
राधेयोऽहमाधिरथिः कर्णस्त्वामभिवादये ।
प्राप्ता किमर्थं भवती ब्रूहि किं करवामि ते ।।
कुन्त्युवाच।
कौन्तेयस्त्वं न राधेयो न तवाधिरथः पिता।
नासि सूतकुले जातः कर्ण तद्विद्धि मे वचः ।।
कानीनस्त्वं मया जातः पूर्वजः कुक्षिणा धृतः ।
कुन्तिराजस्य भवने पार्थस्त्वमसि पुत्रक ।।
प्रकाशकर्मा तपनो योऽयं देवो विरोचनः ।
अजीजनत्त्वां मय्येष कर्ण शस्त्रभृतां वरम् ।।
कुण्डली बद्धकवचो देवगर्भः श्रिया वृतः ।
जातस्त्वमसि दुर्धर्ष मया पुत्र पितुर्गृहे ।।
स त्वं भ्रातॄनसंबुद्ध्य मोहद्यदुपसेवसे ।
धार्तराष्ट्रान्न तद्युक्तं त्वयि पुत्र विशेषतः ।।
एतद्धर्मफलं पुत्र नराणां धर्मनिश्चये ।
यत्तुष्यन्त्यस्य पितरो माता चाप्येकदर्शिनी ।।
अर्जुनेनार्जितां पूर्वं हृतां लोभादसाधुभिः ।
आच्छिद्य धार्तराष्ट्रेभ्यो भुङ्क्ष यौधिष्ठिरीं श्रियम् ।।
अद्य पश्यन्तु कुरवः कर्णार्जुनसमागमम् ।
सौभ्रात्रेण समालक्ष्य संनमन्तामसाधवः ।
कर्णार्जुनौ वै भवतां यथा रामजनार्दनौ ।
असाध्यं किं नु लोके स्याद्युवयोः संहितात्मनोः ।।
कर्ण शोभिष्यसे नूनं पञ्चमिर्भ्रातृभिर्वृतः।
देवैः परिवृतो ब्रह्मा वेद्यामिव महाध्वरे ।।
उपपद्यो गुणैः सर्वैर्ज्येष्ठः श्रेष्ठेषु बन्धुषु ।
सूतपुत्रेति मा शब्दः पार्थस्त्वमसि वीर्यवान् ।।
।। इति श्रीमन्महाभारते
उद्योगपर्वणि भगवद्यानपर्वणि
पञ्चचत्वारिंशदधिकशततमोऽध्यायः ।।

English Ganguli

“Karna said, ‘I am Karna, son of Radha and Adhiratha. For what, O lady, hast thou come here? Tell me what I am to do for thee?’

“Kunti said, ‘Thou art Kunti’s son, and not Radha’s. Nor is Adhiratha thy father. Thou, O Karna, art not born in the Suta order. Believe what I say. Thou wert brought forth by me while a maiden. I held thee first in my womb. O son, thou wert born in the palace of Kuntiraja. O Karna, that divine Surya who blazeth forth in light and maketh everything visible, O foremost of all wielders of weapons, begat thee upon me. O irresistible one, thou, O son, wert brought forth by me in my father’s abode, decked with (natural) ear-rings and accoutred in a (natural) coat of mail, and blazing forth in beauty. That thou, without knowing thy brothers, shouldst, therefore, from ignorance, wait upon Dhritarashtra’s son, is not proper. It is improper in thee especially, O son. The gratification of one’s father and one’s mother, who is the sole displayer of affection (for her child), hath, O son, in the matter of ascertaining the duties of men, been declared to be the highest of all duties. Acquired formerly by Arjuna, the prosperity of Yudhishthira hath, from avarice, been wrested by wicked persons. Snatching it back from Dhritarashtra’s sons, do thou enjoy that prosperity. Let the Kurus behold today the union of Karna and Arjuna. Beholding thee and thy brother united together in bonds of brotherly love, let those wicked persons bow down unto ye. Let Karna and Arjuna be named in the same breath as Rama and Janardana. If you two are united together, what cannot be accomplished in the world? O Karna, surrounded by thy brothers, thou wilt, without doubt, blaze forth like Brahma Himself, surrounded by the gods on the platform of a great sacrifice. Endued with every virtue, thou art the first of all my relations. Let not the epithet Suta’s son attach to thee. Thou art a Partha, endued with great energy.’"