Narada Meets Yudhishthira: The Secret of Karna's Birth

Verse 1 (12.1.1)

कृत्वोदकं ते सुहृदां सर्वेषां पाण्डुनन्दनाः । विदुरो धृतराष्ट्रश्च सर्वाश्च भरतस्त्रियः ॥

kṛtvodakaṃ te suhṛdāṃ sarveṣāṃ pāṇḍunandanāḥ | viduro dhṛtarāṣṭraśca sarvāśca bharatastriyaḥ

The sons of Pandu, having offered the water of the dead for all their kinsmen, together with Vidura, Dhritarashtra and all the women of the Bharata house,

Note on the text: Dropped the invocation lines printed with this verse in Wikisource (श्रीवेदव्यासाय नमः, and नारायणं नमस्कृत्य … ततो जयमुदीरयेत्, which is the CE star passage 12.1.0*0001) and kept the verse proper (page labels 12-1-1c,d), which is CE 12.1.1; the alignment found no match because of the added lines. Wikisource कृत्वोदकं ते (footnote variant कृतोदकास्ते) against CE kṛtodakās te is kept as a variant. The page prints no text of the Stri Parva ending; the opening is complete and not duplicated.

Verse 2 (12.1.2)

तत्र ते सुमहात्मानो न्यवसन्कुरुनन्दनाः । शौचं निर्वर्तयिष्यन्तो मासमात्रं बहिः पुरात् ॥

tatra te sumahātmāno nyavasankurunandanāḥ | śaucaṃ nirvartayiṣyanto māsamātraṃ bahiḥ purāt

those greatly noble descendants of Kuru stayed there, outside the city, for a month, to complete the days of purification.

Note on the text: Corrected मासच्चात्रं → मासमात्रं (misprint in Wikisource; मासच्चात्रं is not a Sanskrit word; the sense is 'for about a month', cf. CE māsam ekam).

Verse 3 (12.1.3)

कृतोदकं तु राजानं धर्मात्मानं युधिष्ठिरम् । अभिजग्मुर्महात्मानः सिद्धा ब्रह्मर्षिसत्तमाः ॥

kṛtodakaṃ tu rājānaṃ dharmātmānaṃ yudhiṣṭhiram | abhijagmurmahātmānaḥ siddhā brahmarṣisattamāḥ

Then, to the righteous King Yudhishthira, who had offered the water of the dead, there came great perfected ones and the best of the brahmin seers.

Verse 4 (12.1.4)

द्वैपायनो नारदश्च देवलश्च महानृषिः । देवस्थानश्च कण्वश्च तेषां शिष्याश्च सत्तमाः ॥

dvaipāyano nāradaśca devalaśca mahānṛṣiḥ | devasthānaśca kaṇvaśca teṣāṃ śiṣyāśca sattamāḥ

Dvaipayana, Narada, the great sage Devala, Devasthana and Kanva, and their excellent disciples,

Verse 5 (12.1.5)

अन्ये च वेदविद्वांसः कृतप्रज्ञा द्विजातयः । गृहस्थाः स्नातकाः सन्तो ददृशुः कुरुसत्तमम् ॥

anye ca vedavidvāṃsaḥ kṛtaprajñā dvijātayaḥ | gṛhasthāḥ snātakāḥ santo dadṛśuḥ kurusattamam

and other twice-born, learned in the Vedas and wise, householders and Snatakas, good men, came and saw the foremost of the Kurus.

Verse 6 (12.1.6)

तेऽभिगम्य महात्मानं पूजिताश्च यथाविधि । आसनेषु महार्हेषु विविशुः परमर्षयः ॥

te'bhigamya mahātmānaṃ pūjitāśca yathāvidhi | āsaneṣu mahārheṣu viviśuḥ paramarṣayaḥ

Having approached that great-souled man and been duly honoured, those supreme sages sat down on costly seats.

Verse 7 (12.1.7)

प्रतिगृह्य ततः पूजां तत्कालसदृशीं तदा । पर्युपासन्यथान्यायं परिवार्य युधिष्ठिरम् ॥

pratigṛhya tataḥ pūjāṃ tatkālasadṛśīṃ tadā | paryupāsanyathānyāyaṃ parivārya yudhiṣṭhiram

Having accepted the honour, fitting for the time, they waited upon Yudhishthira in due manner, sitting all around him.

Note on the text: Corrected पर्युपांसन् → पर्युपासन् (misprint in Wikisource; stray anusvara; the critical edition reads paryupāsan).

Verse 8 (12.1.8)

पुण्ये भागीरथीतीरे शोकव्याकुलचेतसम् । आश्वासयन्तो राजेन्द्रं विप्राः शतसहस्रशः ॥

puṇye bhāgīrathītīre śokavyākulacetasam | āśvāsayanto rājendraṃ viprāḥ śatasahasraśaḥ

On the holy bank of the Bhagirathi, hundreds of thousands of brahmins comforted the king, whose mind was overwhelmed with grief.

Verse 9 (12.1.9)

नारदस्त्वब्रवीत्काले धर्मपुत्रं युधिष्ठिरम् । संभाष्य मुनिभिः सार्धं कृष्णद्वैपायनादिभिः ॥

nāradastvabravītkāle dharmaputraṃ yudhiṣṭhiram | saṃbhāṣya munibhiḥ sārdhaṃ kṛṣṇadvaipāyanādibhiḥ

Then at the proper moment, after conferring with the sages headed by Krishna Dvaipayana, Narada spoke to Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma.

Note on the text: Corrected नारदस्त्वव्रवीत् → नारदस्त्वब्रवीत् (misprint in Wikisource; व for ब; the critical edition reads nāradas tv abravīt). Line 1 is a variant of CE 12.1.9a (…dharmātmānaṃ yudhiṣṭhiram, against Wikisource धर्मपुत्रं युधिष्ठिरम्) and line 2 a variant of CE 12.1.9c (vicārya munibhiḥ sārdhaṃ tatkālasadṛśaṃ vacaḥ, against Wikisource संभाष्य मुनिभिः सार्धं कृष्णद्वैपायनादिभिः); recension variants, kept. The alignment found no match.

Verse 10 (12.1.10)

पार्थस्य बाहुवीर्येण प्रसादान्माधवस्य च । जिता सेयं मही कृत्स्ना धर्मेण च युधिष्ठिर ॥

pārthasya bāhuvīryeṇa prasādānmādhavasya ca | jitā seyaṃ mahī kṛtsnā dharmeṇa ca yudhiṣṭhira

By the might of Partha's arms and by the grace of Madhava, and by righteousness too, this whole earth has been won, Yudhishthira.

Verse 11 (12.1.11)

दिष्ट्या मुक्ताः स्थ संग्रामादस्माल्लोकभयंकरात् । क्षत्रधर्मरतश्चासि कच्चिन्मोदसि पाण्डव ॥

diṣṭyā muktāḥ stha saṃgrāmādasmāllokabhayaṃkarāt | kṣatradharmarataścāsi kaccinmodasi pāṇḍava

By good fortune you have been freed from that battle, which struck terror into the world. You delight in the duty of a kshatriya; are you glad, son of Pandu?

Verse 12 (12.1.12)

कच्चिच्च निहतामित्रः प्रीणासि सुहृदो नृप । कच्चिच्छ्रियमिमां प्राप्य न त्वां शोकः प्रबाधते ॥

kaccicca nihatāmitraḥ prīṇāsi suhṛdo nṛpa | kaccicchriyamimāṃ prāpya na tvāṃ śokaḥ prabādhate

Do you gladden your friends, O king, now that your enemies are slain? And now that you have won this prosperity, does grief not trouble you?

Verse 13 (12.1.13)

विजितेयं मही कृत्स्ना कृष्णबाहुबलाश्रयात् । ब्राह्मणानां प्रसादेन भीमार्जुनबलेन च ॥

vijiteyaṃ mahī kṛtsnā kṛṣṇabāhubalāśrayāt | brāhmaṇānāṃ prasādena bhīmārjunabalena ca

This whole earth has been conquered through reliance on the strength of Krishna's arms, by the grace of the brahmins, and by the might of Bhima and Arjuna.

Verse 14 (12.1.14)

इदं तु मे महद्दुःखं वर्तते हृदि नित्यदा । कृत्वा ज्ञातिक्षयमिमं महान्तं घोरदर्शनम् ॥

idaṃ tu me mahadduḥkhaṃ vartate hṛdi nityadā | kṛtvā jñātikṣayamimaṃ mahāntaṃ ghoradarśanam

But this great sorrow ever dwells in my heart: that I have brought about this vast and dreadful destruction of my kinsmen.

Verse 15 (12.1.15)

सौभद्रं द्रौपदेयांश्च घातयित्वा सुतान्प्रियान् । जयोऽयमजयाकारो भगवन्प्रतिभाति मे ॥

saubhadraṃ draupadeyāṃśca ghātayitvā sutānpriyān | jayo'yamajayākāro bhagavanpratibhāti me

Having had Subhadra's son and Draupadi's sons, my beloved children, killed, this victory seems to me, O lord, like a defeat in disguise.

Verse 16 (12.1.16)

किंनु वक्ष्यति वार्ष्णेयी वधूर्मे मधुसूदनम् । द्वारकावासिनी कृष्णमितः प्रतिगतं हरिम् ॥

kiṃnu vakṣyati vārṣṇeyī vadhūrme madhusūdanam | dvārakāvāsinī kṛṣṇamitaḥ pratigataṃ harim

What will the Vrishni lady, my brother's wife who lives at Dvaraka, say to Madhusudana, to Krishna, to Hari, when he goes back from here?

Verse 17 (12.1.17)

द्रौपदी हतपुत्रेयं कृपणा हतबान्धवा । अस्मत्प्रियहिते युक्ता भूयः पीडयतीव माम् ॥

draupadī hataputreyaṃ kṛpaṇā hatabāndhavā | asmatpriyahite yuktā bhūyaḥ pīḍayatīva mām

And Draupadi here, her sons slain and her kinsmen killed, wretched, though she is devoted to what pleases and benefits us, seems to torment me all the more.

Verse 18 (12.1.18)

इदमन्यच्च भगवन्यत्त्वां वक्ष्यामि नारद । मन्त्रसंवरणेनास्मि कुन्त्या दुःखेन योजितः ॥

idamanyacca bhagavanyattvāṃ vakṣyāmi nārada | mantrasaṃvaraṇenāsmi kuntyā duḥkhena yojitaḥ

There is something else I shall tell you, venerable Narada: through Kunti's keeping of a secret I was brought to grief.

Verse 19 (12.1.19)

यः स नागायुतप्राणो लोकेऽप्रतिरथो रणे । सिंहविक्रान्तगामी च जितकाशी यतव्रतः ॥

yaḥ sa nāgāyutaprāṇo loke'pratiratho raṇe | siṃhavikrāntagāmī ca jitakāśī yatavrataḥ

He who had the vigour of ten thousand elephants, who in all the world had no equal as a chariot-warrior in battle, who walked with a lion's stride, victorious in his brilliance, firm in his vows,

Note on the text: Recension variant, kept: Wikisource यः स नागायुतप्राणः … सिंहविक्रान्तगामी च जितकाशी यतव्रतः against CE yo 'sau nāgāyutabalo … siṃhakhelagatir dhīmān ghṛṇī dānto yatavrataḥ (CE 12.1.19). The alignment found no match.

Verse 20 (12.1.20)

आश्रयो धार्तराष्ट्राणां मानी तीक्ष्णपराक्रमः । अमर्षी नित्यसंरम्भी क्षेप्ताऽस्माकं रणेरणे ॥

āśrayo dhārtarāṣṭrāṇāṃ mānī tīkṣṇaparākramaḥ | amarṣī nityasaṃrambhī kṣeptā'smākaṃ raṇeraṇe

the refuge of Dhritarashtra's sons, proud, keen in valour, intolerant, ever fiery, who reviled us in battle after battle,

Verse 21 (12.1.21)

शीघ्रास्त्रश्चित्रयोधी च कृती चाद्भुतविक्रमः । गूढोत्पन्नः सुतः कुन्त्या भ्राताऽस्माकमसौ किल ॥

śīghrāstraścitrayodhī ca kṛtī cādbhutavikramaḥ | gūḍhotpannaḥ sutaḥ kuntyā bhrātā'smākamasau kila

swift with weapons, a wondrous fighter, skilled, of marvellous prowess—he, it is said, was a son secretly born to Kunti, and our brother.

Verse 22 (12.1.22)

तोयकर्मणि तं कुन्ती कथयामास मे तदा । पुत्रं सर्वगुणोपेतं कर्णं त्यक्तं जले पुरा ॥

toyakarmaṇi taṃ kuntī kathayāmāsa me tadā | putraṃ sarvaguṇopetaṃ karṇaṃ tyaktaṃ jale purā

At the offering of water, Kunti then told me of him: that son endowed with every virtue, Karna, whom she had cast away on the water long before.

Note on the text: Corrected सर्वगुणोयेतं → सर्वगुणोपेतं (misprint in Wikisource; य for प; the critical edition reads sarvaguṇopetam). Wikisource तं कुन्ती … कर्णं त्यक्तं against CE yaṃ kuntī … avakīrṇaṃ is a recension variant, kept.

Verse 23 (12.1.23)

मञ्जूषायां समाधाय गङ्गास्रोतस्यमज्जयत् । यं सूतपुत्रं लोकोऽयं राधेयं चाभ्यमन्यत ॥

mañjūṣāyāṃ samādhāya gaṅgāsrotasyamajjayat | yaṃ sūtaputraṃ loko'yaṃ rādheyaṃ cābhyamanyata

Having placed him in a basket, she let it go into the current of the Ganga—him whom this world took to be a charioteer's son and called Radheya.

Note on the text: The alignment found no match. Line 1 is CE star line 12.1.22d*0004_01 (mañjūṣāyāṃ samādhāya gaṅgāsrotasy amajjayat); line 2 is CE 12.1.23a (yaṃ sūtaputraṃ loko 'yaṃ rādheyaṃ cāpy amanyata), with Wikisource चाभ्यमन्यत for cāpy amanyata.

Verse 24 (12.1.24)

स सूर्यपुत्रः कुन्त्या वै भ्राताऽस्माकं च मातृतः । अजानता मया सङ्ख्ये राज्यलुब्धेन घातितः । तन्मे दहति गात्राणि तूलराशिमिवानलः ॥

sa sūryaputraḥ kuntyā vai bhrātā'smākaṃ ca mātṛtaḥ | ajānatā mayā saṅkhye rājyalubdhena ghātitaḥ | tanme dahati gātrāṇi tūlarāśimivānalaḥ

That son of the Sun was Kunti's own son, and our brother on our mother's side. I killed him in battle, not knowing it, greedy for the kingdom. That burns my limbs as fire burns a heap of cotton.

Note on the text: Corrected कुन्त्या यै → कुन्त्या वै (misprint in Wikisource; य for व; the critical edition reads kuntyā vai) and सड्ख्ये → सङ्ख्ये (misspelling in Wikisource; ङ् for ड्; the critical edition reads saṃkhye). Three-line verse: line 1 is a variant of CE 12.1.23c (sa jyeṣṭhaputraḥ kuntyā vai bhrātāsmākaṃ ca mātṛjaḥ; Wikisource स सूर्यपुत्रः … मातृतः, kept); lines 2–3 are CE 12.1.24a and 24c. The alignment found no match.

Verse 25 (12.1.25)

न हि तं वेद पार्थोऽपि भ्रातरं श्वेतवाहनः । नाहं न भीमो न यमौ स त्वस्मान्वेद तत्त्वतः ॥

na hi taṃ veda pārtho'pi bhrātaraṃ śvetavāhanaḥ | nāhaṃ na bhīmo na yamau sa tvasmānveda tattvataḥ

For not even Partha, white-horsed Arjuna, knew him to be his brother; nor did I, nor Bhima, nor the twins. But he knew us for what we truly were.

Note on the text: Corrected तत्वतः → तत्त्वतः (misspelling in Wikisource; the conjunct of tattva has a doubled त). Wikisource स त्वस्मान्वेद तत्त्वतः against CE sa tv asmān veda suvrataḥ is a recension variant, kept.

Verse 26 (12.1.26)

गता किल पृथा तस्य सकाशमिति नः श्रुतम् । अस्माकं शमकामा वै त्वं च पुत्रो ममेत्यथ ॥

gatā kila pṛthā tasya sakāśamiti naḥ śrutam | asmākaṃ śamakāmā vai tvaṃ ca putro mametyatha

We have heard that Pritha went to him, wishing peace for us, and told him, 'You are my son too.'

Note on the text: Corrected श्चुतम् → श्रुतम् (misprint in Wikisource; श्च for श्र; the critical edition reads śrutam).

Verse 27 (12.1.27)

पृथाया न कृतः कामस्तेन चापि महात्मना । अतीवानुचितं मातरवोच इति सोऽब्रवीत् ॥

pṛthāyā na kṛtaḥ kāmastena cāpi mahātmanā | atīvānucitaṃ mātaravoca iti so'bravīt

But that great-souled man did not do Pritha's will either. 'Mother, you have said what is most unbecoming,' he told her.

Note on the text: Wikisource अतीवानुचितं मातरवोच इति सोऽब्रवीत् against CE atipaścād idaṃ mātary avocad iti naḥ śrutam (CE 12.1.27c) is a recension variant, kept.

Verse 28 (12.1.28)

न हि शक्ष्यामि संत्यक्तुमहं दुर्योधनं रणे । अनार्यत्वं नृशंसत्वं कृतघ्नत्वं च मे भवेत् ॥

na hi śakṣyāmi saṃtyaktumahaṃ duryodhanaṃ raṇe | anāryatvaṃ nṛśaṃsatvaṃ kṛtaghnatvaṃ ca me bhavet

I cannot abandon Duryodhana in battle; that would make me ignoble, cruel and ungrateful.

Note on the text: Speaker supplied: Karna's direct speech to Kunti, reported by Yudhishthira, with no printed heading; it fills the whole verse. Wikisource दुर्योधनं रणे … मे भवेत् against CE nṛpaṃ duryodhanaṃ raṇe … hi me bhavet is a recension variant, kept.

Verse 29 (12.1.29)

युधिष्ठिरेण सन्धिं हि यदि कुर्यां मते तव । भीतो रणे श्वेतवाहादिति मां मंस्यते जनः ॥

yudhiṣṭhireṇa sandhiṃ hi yadi kuryāṃ mate tava | bhīto raṇe śvetavāhāditi māṃ maṃsyate janaḥ

If, at your word, I were to make peace with Yudhishthira, people would think I had done so out of fear of the white-horsed Arjuna in battle.

Note on the text: Speaker supplied: Karna's direct speech, with no printed heading; it fills the whole verse.

Verse 30 (12.1.30)

सोऽहं निर्जित्य समरे विजयं सहकेशवम् । संधास्ये धर्मपुत्रेण पश्चादिति च सोऽब्रवीत् ॥

so'haṃ nirjitya samare vijayaṃ sahakeśavam | saṃdhāsye dharmaputreṇa paścāditi ca so'bravīt

'Having first defeated Vijaya together with Keshava in battle, I shall make peace with Dharma's son afterwards,' he said.

Note on the text: Karna's words closed by Yudhishthira's 'he said'; the verse is kept with Yudhishthira, the speaker of the page's heading.

Verse 31 (12.1.31)

तमवोचत्किल पृथा पुनः पृथुलवक्षसम् । चतुर्णामभयं देहि कामं युध्यस्व फल्गुनम् ॥

tamavocatkila pṛthā punaḥ pṛthulavakṣasam | caturṇāmabhayaṃ dehi kāmaṃ yudhyasva phalgunam

Then Pritha spoke to him again, to the broad-chested one: 'Grant safety to four of them; fight Phalguna as you wish.'

Verse 32 (12.1.32)

सोऽब्रवीन्मातरं धीमान्वेपमानां कृताञ्जलिः । प्राप्तान्विषह्यांश्चतुरो न हनिष्यामि ते सुतान् ॥

so'bravīnmātaraṃ dhīmānvepamānāṃ kṛtāñjaliḥ | prāptānviṣahyāṃścaturo na haniṣyāmi te sutān

The wise one, trembling, with joined palms, answered his mother: 'Those four who come within my power I shall not kill, your sons.'

Verse 33 (12.1.33)

पञ्चैव हि सुता देवि भविष्यन्ति तव ध्रुवाः । सार्जुना वा हते कर्णे सकर्णा वा हतेऽर्जुने ॥

pañcaiva hi sutā devi bhaviṣyanti tava dhruvāḥ | sārjunā vā hate karṇe sakarṇā vā hate'rjune

You will surely have only five sons, Devi: either with Arjuna, if Karna is slain, or with Karna, if Arjuna is slain.

Note on the text: Speaker supplied: Karna's direct speech to Kunti, with no printed heading; it fills the whole verse. Recension variant, kept: Wikisource सुता देवि … सार्जुना वा हते कर्णे सकर्णा वा हतेऽर्जुने against CE sutā mātar … sakarṇā vā hate pārthe sārjunā vā hate mayi (CE 12.1.33). The alignment found no match.

Verse 34 (12.1.34)

तं पुत्रगृद्धिनी भूयो माता पुत्रमथाब्रवीत् । भ्रातॄणां स्वस्ति कुर्वीथा येषां स्वस्ति चिकीर्षसि ॥

taṃ putragṛddhinī bhūyo mātā putramathābravīt | bhrātṝṇāṃ svasti kurvīthā yeṣāṃ svasti cikīrṣasi

Then his mother, yearning for her son, spoke to her son again: 'Do good to your brothers, to those whose good you wish.'

Verse 35 (12.1.35)

एवमुक्त्वा किल पृथा विसृज्योपययौ गृहान् । सोऽर्जुनेन हतो वीरो भ्रात्रा भ्राता सहोदरः ॥

evamuktvā kila pṛthā visṛjyopayayau gṛhān | so'rjunena hato vīro bhrātrā bhrātā sahodaraḥ

Having spoken thus, Pritha, it is said, took leave of him and returned home. And that hero, a brother of the same womb, was slain by his brother Arjuna.

Verse 36 (12.1.36)

न चैव निःसृतो मन्त्रः पृथायास्तस्य वा मुने । अथ शूरो महेष्वासः पार्थेनाजौ निपातितः ॥

na caiva niḥsṛto mantraḥ pṛthāyāstasya vā mune | atha śūro maheṣvāsaḥ pārthenājau nipātitaḥ

Neither Pritha nor he let the secret out, O sage. Then that heroic great archer was struck down in battle by Partha.

Verse 37 (12.1.37)

अहं त्वज्ञासिषं पश्चात्स्वसोदर्यं द्विजोत्तम । पूर्वजं भ्रातरं कर्णं पृथाया वचनात्प्रभो ॥

ahaṃ tvajñāsiṣaṃ paścātsvasodaryaṃ dvijottama | pūrvajaṃ bhrātaraṃ karṇaṃ pṛthāyā vacanātprabho

Only afterwards did I learn, O best of brahmins, from Pritha's own words, that Karna was our elder brother, born of the same mother, O lord.

Verse 38 (12.1.38)

तेन मे दूयते तीव्रं हृदयं भ्रातृघातिनः । कर्णार्जुनसहायोऽहं जयेयमपि वासवम् ॥

tena me dūyate tīvraṃ hṛdayaṃ bhrātṛghātinaḥ | karṇārjunasahāyo'haṃ jayeyamapi vāsavam

For this my heart, the heart of a brother's slayer, aches fiercely. With Karna and Arjuna as my allies I could have conquered even Indra.

Verse 39 (12.1.39)

सभायां क्लिश्यमानस्य धार्तराष्ट्रैर्दुरात्मभिः । सहसोत्पतितः क्रोधः कर्णं दृष्ट्वा प्रशाम्यति ॥

sabhāyāṃ kliśyamānasya dhārtarāṣṭrairdurātmabhiḥ | sahasotpatitaḥ krodhaḥ karṇaṃ dṛṣṭvā praśāmyati

When I was being tormented in the assembly by Dhritarashtra's wicked sons, my sudden anger would subside at the sight of Karna.

Verse 40 (12.1.40)

यदा ह्यस्य गिरो रूक्षाः शृणोमि कटुकोदयाः । सभायां गदतो द्यूते दुर्योधनहितैषिणः ॥

yadā hyasya giro rūkṣāḥ śṛṇomi kaṭukodayāḥ | sabhāyāṃ gadato dyūte duryodhanahitaiṣiṇaḥ

For when I heard his harsh words, bitter in their effect, spoken in the dice-game in the assembly in the interest of Duryodhana,

Note on the text: Corrected श्रृणोमि → शृणोमि (misprint in Wikisource; श्रृ for शृ; the critical edition reads śṛṇomi).

Verse 41 (12.1.41)

तदा नश्यति मे रोषः पादौ तस्य निरीक्ष्य ह । कुन्त्या हि सदृशौ पादौ कर्णस्येति मतिर्मम ॥

tadā naśyati me roṣaḥ pādau tasya nirīkṣya ha | kuntyā hi sadṛśau pādau karṇasyeti matirmama

then my wrath would vanish when I looked at his feet. 'Karna's feet are just like Kunti's,' such was my thought.

Verse 42 (12.1.42)

सादृश्यहेतुमन्विच्छन्पृथायास्तस्य चैव ह । कारणं नाधिगच्छामि कथंचिदपि चिन्तयन् ॥

sādṛśyahetumanvicchanpṛthāyāstasya caiva ha | kāraṇaṃ nādhigacchāmi kathaṃcidapi cintayan

Seeking the reason for this likeness between Pritha and him, I could find no cause, however much I pondered.

Verse 43 (12.1.43)

कथं नु तस्य संग्रामे पृथिवी चक्रमग्रसत् । कथं नु शप्तो भ्राता मे तत्त्वं वक्तुमिहार्हसि ॥

kathaṃ nu tasya saṃgrāme pṛthivī cakramagrasat | kathaṃ nu śapto bhrātā me tattvaṃ vaktumihārhasi

How was it that in battle the earth swallowed his chariot wheel? And how was my brother cursed? You should tell me the truth of it.

Verse 44 (12.1.44)

श्रोतुमिच्छामि भगवंस्त्वत्तः सर्वं यथातथम् । भवान्हि सर्वविद्विद्वाँल्लोके वेद कृताकृतम् ॥

śrotumicchāmi bhagavaṃstvattaḥ sarvaṃ yathātatham | bhavānhi sarvavidvidvām̐lloke veda kṛtākṛtam

I wish to hear everything from you, venerable one, just as it happened. For you are all-knowing and learned, and know in the world what has been done and what not.