Kunti Reveals Karna’s Birth

Verse 1 (5.145.1)

राधेयोऽहमाधिरथिः कर्णस्त्वामभिवादये । प्राप्ता किमर्थं भवती ब्रूहि किं करवाणि ते ॥

rādheyo'hamādhirathiḥ karṇastvāmabhivādaye | prāptā kimarthaṃ bhavatī brūhi kiṃ karavāṇi te

"I am Karna, son of Radha and of Adhiratha, and I salute you. Why have you come, lady? Tell me what I may do for you."

Note on the text: Corrected करवामि → करवाणि (misprint in Wikisource; करवामि is not a valid form of कृ, critical edition karavāṇi).

Verse 2 (5.145.2)

कौन्तेयस्त्वं न राधेयो न तवाधिरथः पिता । नासि सूतकुले जातः कर्ण तद्विद्धि मे वचः ॥

kaunteyastvaṃ na rādheyo na tavādhirathaḥ pitā | nāsi sūtakule jātaḥ karṇa tadviddhi me vacaḥ

"You are Kunti's son, not Radha's, and Adhiratha is not your father. You were not born in a family of sutas, Karna; know this word of mine for the truth.

Verse 3 (5.145.3)

कानीनस्त्वं मया जातः पूर्वजः कुक्षिणा धृतः । कुन्तिराजस्य भवने पार्थस्त्वमसि पुत्रक ॥

kānīnastvaṃ mayā jātaḥ pūrvajaḥ kukṣiṇā dhṛtaḥ | kuntirājasya bhavane pārthastvamasi putraka

You are the son I bore as a maiden, my first-born, carried in my own womb; in the palace of King Kuntibhoja you were born a son of Pritha, my child.

Verse 4 (5.145.4)

प्रकाशकर्मा तपनो योऽयं देवो विरोचनः । अजीजनत्त्वां मय्येष कर्ण शस्त्रभृतां वरम् ॥

prakāśakarmā tapano yo'yaṃ devo virocanaḥ | ajījanattvāṃ mayyeṣa karṇa śastrabhṛtāṃ varam

The god who works by light, the Burning One, the Shining One — it was he who begot you in me, Karna, you the best of all who bear arms.

Verse 5 (5.145.5)

कुण्डली बद्धकवचो देवगर्भः श्रिया वृतः । जातस्त्वमसि दुर्धर्ष मया पुत्र पितुर्गृहे ॥

kuṇḍalī baddhakavaco devagarbhaḥ śriyā vṛtaḥ | jātastvamasi durdharṣa mayā putra piturgṛhe

Wearing earrings and bound in armour, a child of the god, wrapped in splendour, you were born of me, invincible one, my son, in my father's house.

Verse 6 (5.145.6)

स त्वं भ्रातॄनसंबुद्ध्य मोहाद्यदुपसेवसे । धार्तराष्ट्रान्न तद्युक्तं त्वयि पुत्र विशेषतः ॥

sa tvaṃ bhrātṝnasaṃbuddhya mohādyadupasevase | dhārtarāṣṭrānna tadyuktaṃ tvayi putra viśeṣataḥ

That you, not knowing your brothers, serve the sons of Dhritarashtra out of delusion is not fitting, my son — least of all in you.

Note on the text: Corrected मोहद्यदुपसेवसे → मोहाद्यदुपसेवसे (misprint in Wikisource; dropped vowel sign in मोहात्, critical edition mohād yad upasevase).

Verse 7 (5.145.7)

एतद्धर्मफलं पुत्र नराणां धर्मनिश्चये । यत्तुष्यन्त्यस्य पितरो माता चाप्येकदर्शिनी ॥

etaddharmaphalaṃ putra narāṇāṃ dharmaniścaye | yattuṣyantyasya pitaro mātā cāpyekadarśinī

This, my son, is the fruit of dharma for men, as dharma is settled: that his fathers are pleased with him, and his mother too, whose eyes are on him alone.

Verse 8 (5.145.8)

अर्जुनेनार्जितां पूर्वं हृतां लोभादसाधुभिः । आच्छिद्य धार्तराष्ट्रेभ्यो भुङ्क्ष यौधिष्ठिरीं श्रियम् ॥

arjunenārjitāṃ pūrvaṃ hṛtāṃ lobhādasādhubhiḥ | ācchidya dhārtarāṣṭrebhyo bhuṅkṣa yaudhiṣṭhirīṃ śriyam

Wrest from the sons of Dhritarashtra the royal fortune that Arjuna won before and the wicked seized out of greed, and enjoy Yudhishthira's prosperity.

Verse 9 (5.145.9)

अद्य पश्यन्तु कुरवः कर्णार्जुनसमागमम् । सौभ्रात्रेण समालक्ष्य संनमन्तामसाधवः ॥

adya paśyantu kuravaḥ karṇārjunasamāgamam | saubhrātreṇa samālakṣya saṃnamantāmasādhavaḥ

Let the Kurus see today Karna and Arjuna joined together; seeing your brotherly bond, let the wicked bow down.

Verse 10 (5.145.10)

कर्णार्जुनौ वै भवतां यथा रामजनार्दनौ । असाध्यं किं नु लोके स्याद्युवयोः संहितात्मनोः ॥

karṇārjunau vai bhavatāṃ yathā rāmajanārdanau | asādhyaṃ kiṃ nu loke syādyuvayoḥ saṃhitātmanoḥ

Let Karna and Arjuna be to each other as Rama and Janardana are. What in the world could be beyond the two of you, united in spirit?

Verse 11 (5.145.11)

कर्ण शोभिष्यसे नूनं पञ्चभिर्भ्रातृभिर्वृतः । देवैः परिवृतो ब्रह्मा वेद्यामिव महाध्वरे ॥

karṇa śobhiṣyase nūnaṃ pañcabhirbhrātṛbhirvṛtaḥ | devaiḥ parivṛto brahmā vedyāmiva mahādhvare

Karna, surrounded by your five brothers you will surely shine like Brahma at the altar of a great sacrifice, surrounded by the gods.

Note on the text: Corrected पञ्चमिर्भ्रातृभिर्वृतः → पञ्चभिर्भ्रातृभिर्वृतः (misprint in Wikisource; म for भ, critical edition pañcabhir). Line 2 differs from the critical edition's 5.143.11cd (vedaiḥ parivṛto brahmā yathā vedāṅgapañcamaiḥ).

Verse 12 (5.145.12)

उपपन्नो गुणैः सर्वैर्ज्येष्ठः श्रेष्ठेषु बन्धुषु । सूतपुत्रेति मा शब्दः पार्थस्त्वमसि वीर्यवान् ॥

upapanno guṇaiḥ sarvairjyeṣṭhaḥ śreṣṭheṣu bandhuṣu | sūtaputreti mā śabdaḥ pārthastvamasi vīryavān

Endowed with every virtue, eldest among your excellent kinsmen, let the words "son of a suta" be heard no more; you are a son of Pritha, full of valour."

Note on the text: Corrected उपपद्यो → उपपन्नो (misprint in Wikisource; उपपद्यो is not a valid form here, the sense needs "endowed", critical edition upapanno).