Surya Urges Karna to Keep His Earrings

Verse 1 (3.302.1)

माऽहितं कर्ण कार्षीस्त्वमात्मनः सुहृदां तथा । पुत्राणामथ भार्याणामथो मातुरथो पितुः ॥

mā'hitaṃ karṇa kārṣīstvamātmanaḥ suhṛdāṃ tathā | putrāṇāmatha bhāryāṇāmatho māturatho pituḥ

"Do no harm, Karna, to yourself or to your friends, to your sons and your wives, to your mother and your father.

Verse 2 (3.302.2)

शरीरस्याविरोधेन प्राणिनां प्राणभृद्वर । इष्यते यशसः प्राप्तिः कीर्तिश्च त्रिदिवे स्थिरा ॥

śarīrasyāvirodhena prāṇināṃ prāṇabhṛdvara | iṣyate yaśasaḥ prāptiḥ kīrtiśca tridive sthirā

Best of living beings, embodied creatures seek to win renown, and fame that stands firm in heaven, without harm to their bodies.

Verse 3 (3.302.3)

यस्त्वं प्राणविरोधेन कीर्तिमिच्छसि शाश्वतीम् । सा ते प्राणान्समादाय गमिष्यति न संशयः ॥

yastvaṃ prāṇavirodhena kīrtimicchasi śāśvatīm | sā te prāṇānsamādāya gamiṣyati na saṃśayaḥ

But you seek everlasting fame at the cost of your life; that fame will take your life with it and be gone, there is no doubt.

Verse 4 (3.302.4)

जीवतां कुरुते कार्यं पिता माता सुतास्तथा । ये चान्ये बान्धवाः केचिल्लोकेऽस्मिन्पुरुषर्षभ ॥

jīvatāṃ kurute kāryaṃ pitā mātā sutāstathā | ye cānye bāndhavāḥ kecilloke'sminpuruṣarṣabha

It is from the living that father, mother and sons gain their purpose, bull among men, and so do whatever other kinsmen one has in this world,

Note on the text: Wikisource divides this passage (its verses 4–6) into three two-line verses where the critical edition has two three-line verses (3.285.4–5): this verse is the critical edition's 3.285.4ab–cd.

Verse 5 (3.302.5)

राजानश्च नरव्याघ्र पौरुषेण निबोध तत् । कीर्तिश्च जीवतः साध्वी पुरुषस्य महाद्युते ॥

rājānaśca naravyāghra pauruṣeṇa nibodha tat | kīrtiśca jīvataḥ sādhvī puruṣasya mahādyute

and kings too, tiger among men; understand that with a man's good sense. Fame is a good thing for a man while he lives, splendid one.

Note on the text: Line 1 is the critical edition's 3.285.4ef and line 2 its 3.285.5ab (see verse 4).

Verse 6 (3.302.6)

मृतस्य कीर्त्या किं कार्यं भस्मीभूतस्य देहिनः । मृतः कीर्तिं न जानीते जीवन्कीर्तिं समश्नुते ॥

mṛtasya kīrtyā kiṃ kāryaṃ bhasmībhūtasya dehinaḥ | mṛtaḥ kīrtiṃ na jānīte jīvankīrtiṃ samaśnute

What use is fame to an embodied being who is dead and turned to ashes? The dead man knows nothing of fame; it is the living who enjoy it.

Note on the text: This verse is the critical edition's 3.285.5cd–ef (see verse 4). Corrected कीर्ति → कीर्तिं (misprint in Wikisource; dropped anusvara of the accusative; the critical edition reads kīrtiṃ samaśnute).

Verse 7 (3.302.7)

मृतस्य कीर्तिर्मर्त्यस्य यथा माला गतायुषः । अहं तु त्वां ब्रवीम्येतद्भक्तोऽसीति हितेप्सया ॥

mṛtasya kīrtirmartyasya yathā mālā gatāyuṣaḥ | ahaṃ tu tvāṃ bravīmyetadbhakto'sīti hitepsayā

Fame for a dead mortal is like a garland on a man whose life has ended. I tell you this for your good, because you are devoted to me.

Note on the text: Corrected भक्तोसीति → भक्तोऽसीति (missing avagraha).

Verse 8 (3.302.8)

भक्तिमन्तो हि मे रक्ष्या इत्येतेनापि हेतुना । भक्तोऽयं परया भक्त्या मामित्येव महाभुज ॥

bhaktimanto hi me rakṣyā ityetenāpi hetunā | bhakto'yaṃ parayā bhaktyā māmityeva mahābhuja

Those devoted to me must be protected — for this reason too. Knowing, mighty-armed one, that you are devoted to me with the highest devotion,

Note on the text: Corrected भक्तोयं → भक्तोऽयं (missing avagraha). This verse is the critical edition's 3.285.7ab–cd; Wikisource carries the critical edition's 7ef into its verse 9.

Verse 9 (3.302.9)

ममापि भक्तिरुत्पन्ना स त्वं कुरु वचो मम । अस्ति चात्र परं किंचिदध्यात्मं देवनिर्मितम् । अतश्च त्वां ब्रवीम्येतत्क्रियतामविशङ्कया ॥

mamāpi bhaktirutpannā sa tvaṃ kuru vaco mama | asti cātra paraṃ kiṃcidadhyātmaṃ devanirmitam | ataśca tvāṃ bravīmyetatkriyatāmaviśaṅkayā

devotion to you has arisen in me as well; so do as I say. There is, besides, some deeper mystery in this, ordained by the gods; that is why I tell you this. Do it without misgiving.

Note on the text: Line 1 is the critical edition's 3.285.7ef and lines 2–3 its 3.285.8. The third line's row on the Wikisource page is numbered "3-300-9c", a typo for 3-302-9c; the line belongs here (critical edition 3.285.8cd) and is kept.

Verse 10 (3.302.10)

देवगुह्यं त्वया ज्ञातुं न शक्यं पुरुषर्षभ । तस्मान्नाख्यामि ते गुह्यं काले वेत्स्यति तद्भवान् ॥

devaguhyaṃ tvayā jñātuṃ na śakyaṃ puruṣarṣabha | tasmānnākhyāmi te guhyaṃ kāle vetsyati tadbhavān

You cannot know the gods' secret, bull among men; so I do not tell you the secret. In time you will learn it.

Note on the text: Corrected नस्मान्नाख्यामि → तस्मान्नाख्यामि (misprint in Wikisource; न for त; the critical edition reads tasmān nākhyāmi).

Verse 11 (3.302.11)

पुनरुक्तं च वक्ष्यामि त्वं राधेय निबोध तत् । माऽस्मै ते कुण्डले दद्या भिक्षिते वज्रपाणिना ॥

punaruktaṃ ca vakṣyāmi tvaṃ rādheya nibodha tat | mā'smai te kuṇḍale dadyā bhikṣite vajrapāṇinā

I will say it again, son of Radha; hear it: do not give him your earrings when the wielder of the thunderbolt begs for them.

Note on the text: Corrected वज्रापाणिना → वज्रपाणिना (misprint in Wikisource; spurious long ā; the critical edition has vajrapāṇaye in a variant line).

Verse 12 (3.302.12)

शोभसे कुण्डलाभ्यां च रुचिराभ्यां महाद्युते । विशाखयोर्मध्यगतः शशीव विमले दिवि ॥

śobhase kuṇḍalābhyāṃ ca rucirābhyāṃ mahādyute | viśākhayormadhyagataḥ śaśīva vimale divi

With your lovely earrings you shine, splendid one, like the moon in the clear sky between the two stars of Vishakha.

Verse 13 (3.302.13)

कीर्तिश्च जीवतः साध्वी पुरुषस्येति विद्धि तत् । प्रत्याख्येयस्त्वया तात कुण्डलार्थे सुरेश्वरः ॥

kīrtiśca jīvataḥ sādhvī puruṣasyeti viddhi tat | pratyākhyeyastvayā tāta kuṇḍalārthe sureśvaraḥ

Fame is good for a man while he lives; know that. You must refuse the lord of the gods, my son, when he asks for the earrings.

Verse 14 (3.302.14)

पाण्डवानां हिते युक्तो भिक्षन्ब्राह्मणवेषधृत् । शक्या बहुविधैर्वाक्यैः कुण्डलेप्सा त्वयाऽनघ । विहन्तुं देवराजस्य हेतुयुक्तैः पुनःपुनः ॥

pāṇḍavānāṃ hite yukto bhikṣanbrāhmaṇaveṣadhṛt | śakyā bahuvidhairvākyaiḥ kuṇḍalepsā tvayā'nagha | vihantuṃ devarājasya hetuyuktaiḥ punaḥpunaḥ

When he comes in a brahmin's guise to beg, bent on the good of the Pandavas, you can defeat the king of the gods' desire for the earrings, sinless one, with many kinds of words and reasoned arguments, again and again,

Note on the text: Removed the stray wiki marks (` and ') around line 1. Line 1 is not in the critical edition's constituted text (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition has it only in its apparatus as star passage 1334, after 3.285.12. Lines 2–3 are the critical edition's 3.285.13; the third line's row is numbered "3-300-14c" on the Wikisource page, a typo for 3-302-14c, and is kept. Corrected शक्त्या → शक्या and देवराजस् → देवराजस्य (misprints in Wikisource; the commentary on the page glosses विहन्तुं शक्या, and the critical edition reads śakyā … devarājasya).

Verse 15 (3.302.15)

उपपत्त्युपपन्नार्थैर्माधुर्यकृतभूषणैः । पुरंदरस्य कर्ण त्वं बुद्धिमेतामपानुद ॥

upapattyupapannārthairmādhuryakṛtabhūṣaṇaiḥ | puraṃdarasya karṇa tvaṃ buddhimetāmapānuda

with words whose sense is well reasoned and adorned with sweetness. Dispel, Karna, this intention of Purandara.

Verse 16 (3.302.16)

त्वं हि नित्यं नरव्याघ्र स्पर्धसे सव्यसाचिना । सव्यसाची त्वया चेह युधि शूरः समेष्यति ॥

tvaṃ hi nityaṃ naravyāghra spardhase savyasācinā | savyasācī tvayā ceha yudhi śūraḥ sameṣyati

You are always vying with Savyasachin, tiger among men, and Savyasachin, the hero, will meet you here in battle.

Verse 17 (3.302.17)

न तु त्वामर्जुनः शक्तः कुण्डलाभ्यां समन्वितम् । विजेतुं युधि यद्यस्य स्वयमिन्द्रः शरो भवेत् ॥

na tu tvāmarjunaḥ śaktaḥ kuṇḍalābhyāṃ samanvitam | vijetuṃ yudhi yadyasya svayamindraḥ śaro bhavet

But Arjuna cannot defeat you in battle while you have your earrings, even if Indra himself were to become his arrow.

Verse 18 (3.302.18)

तस्मान्न देये शक्राय त्वयैते कुण्डले शुभे । संग्रामे यदि निर्जेतुं कर्ण कामयसेऽर्जुनम् ॥

tasmānna deye śakrāya tvayaite kuṇḍale śubhe | saṃgrāme yadi nirjetuṃ karṇa kāmayase'rjunam

So you must not give these beautiful earrings to Shakra, Karna, if you wish to conquer Arjuna in battle."

Note on the text: Corrected शख्राय → शक्राय (misprint in Wikisource; ख for क; the critical edition reads śakrāya).