जनमेजय उवाच यत् तत् तदा महद् ब्रह्मल्लँलोमशो वाक्यमब्रवीत्। इन्द्रस्य वचनादेव पाण्डुपुत्रं युधिष्ठिरम्॥ यच्चापि ते भयं तीव्र न च कीर्तयसे क्वचित्। तच्चाप्यपहरिष्यामि धनंजय इतो गते॥ किं न तज्जपतां श्रेष्ठ कर्णं प्रति महद् भयम्। आसीन्न च स धर्मात्मा कथयामास कस्यचित्।।३।
Janamejaya said : O Brahmana, (you say) at that time, Lomasha conveyed to Yudhishthira, the son Pandu, a message from Indra in these words of grave consequence, “I will remove that great terror which you do not reveal to any one when Dhananjaya departs from this place," now tell me, O best of devotees, what this great fear was which Yudhishthira entertained in respect of Karna and why he did not reveal it to any one.
वैशम्पायन उवाच अहं ते राजशार्दूल कथयामि कथामिमाम्। पृच्छतो भरतश्रेष्ठ शुश्रूषस्व गिरं मम॥
Vaishampayana said : O best of kings, I will relate that history to you, as asked by you. O best of the Bharatas, listen to my words.
द्वादशे समतिक्रान्ते वर्षे प्राप्ते त्रयोदशे। पाण्डूनां हितकृच्छक्र: कर्ण भिक्षितुमुद्यतः॥
On the expiration of the twelfth year of their forest life when the thirteenth had set in, Shakra, the well-wisher of the Pandavas, resolved to ask Karna for his ear-rings.
अभिप्रायमथो ज्ञात्वा महेन्द्रस्य विभावसुः। कुण्डलार्थे महाराज सूर्यः कर्णमुपागतः॥
But Vibhavasu (the sun) aware of the intentions of Mahendra about the ear-rings, O mighty Monarch, appeared before Karna.
महार्हे शयने वीरं स्पास्तरणसंवृते। शयानमतिविश्वस्तं ब्रह्मण्यं सत्यवादिनम्॥
And when that truthful hero, devoted to the Brahmanas, was comfortably lying down on a costly bed furnished with a rich sheet.
स्वप्नान्ते निशि राजेन्द्र दर्शयामास रश्मिवान्। कृपया परयाऽऽविष्टः पुत्रस्नेहाच्च भारत॥
The resplendent god, the sun, O king of kings, moved with great kindness consequent on paternal affection, showed himself, at night, in a dream, O Bharata.
ब्राह्मणो वेदविद् भूत्वा सूर्यो योगर्द्धिरूपवान्। हितार्थमब्रवीत् कर्णं सान्त्वपूर्वमिदं वचः॥
And by his devotional power, wearing the shape of a handsome Brahmana, well read in the Vedas, the Sun addressed Karna for his welfare, these sweet words.
कर्ण मद्वचनं तात शृणु सत्यभृतां वर। ब्रुवतोऽद्य महाबाहो सौहृदात् परमं हितम्॥
"O son, O Karna, O foremost of the truthful, O mighty-armed one, listen to these highly beneficial words of mine that I tell you today out of affection for you.
उपायास्यति शक्रस्त्वां पाण्डवानां हितेप्सया। ब्राह्मणच्छद्मना कर्ण कुण्डलापजिहीर्षया॥
O Karna, Shakra with the desire of doing good to the Pandavas will come to you in the disguise of a Brahmana in order to have your ear-rings.
विदितं तेन शीलं ते सर्वस्य जगतस्तथा। यथा त्वं भिक्षितः सद्भिर्ददास्येव न याचसे॥
This noble conduct on your part that when asked by the pious you give away to them whatsoever they ask but never beg, is known to Shakra himself and the world at large.
तु वै त्वं हि तात ददास्येव ब्राह्मणेभ्यः प्रयाचितम्। वित्तं यच्चान्यदप्याहुन प्रत्याख्यासि कस्यचित्॥
O son, you bestow on the Brahmanas wealth or any other thing asked by them and never refuses anything to any one.
त्वां चैवंविधं ज्ञात्वा स्वयं पाकशासनः। आगन्ता कुण्डलार्थाय कवचं चैव भिक्षितुम्॥
The vanquisher (of the Asura) Paka, who is well aware of this, will come to you in person, in order to beg your ear-rings and armour.
तस्मै प्रयाचमानाय न देये कुण्डले त्वया। अनुनेयः परं शक्त्या श्रेय एतद्धि ते परम्॥
When he will ask for the ear-rings, you must not part with them but entreat him to the best of your power to make him desist; because that will tend to your greatest good.
कुण्डलार्थे ब्रुवंस्तात कारणैर्बहुभिस्त्वया। अन्यैर्बहुविधैर्वित्तैः सन्निवार्यः पुनः पुनः॥
O son, when he will tell you about the earrings, you will, by showing various reasons, refuse him over and over again and offer him various other sorts of riches.
रत्नैः स्त्रीभिस्तथा गोभिर्धनैर्बहुविधैरपि। निदर्शनैश्च बहुभिः कुण्डलेप्सुः पुरन्दरः॥
And you will try to appease Purandara, desirous of getting the ear-rings, by offering gems, women, cows, various sorts of riches and by citing precedents.
यदि दास्यसि कर्ण त्वं सहजे कुण्डले शुभे। आयुषः प्रक्षयं गत्वा मृत्योर्वशमुपैष्यसि॥
If, O Karna, you part with those auspicious ear-rings with which you were born, your life will be shortened and you will be subject to death.
कवचेन समायुक्तः कुण्डलाभ्यां च मानद। अवध्यस्त्वं रणेऽरीणामिति विद्धि वचो मम॥
O bestower of honours, arrayed in your armour and ear-rings you will be unslayable by your enemies in battle. Know these my words to be certain.
अमृतादुत्थितं ह्येतदुभयं रत्नसम्भवम्। तस्माद् रक्ष्यं त्वया कर्ण जीवितं चेत् प्रियं तव॥
These two jewelled ear-rings have derived their origin from ambrosia. Therefore, they should be carefully preserved by you, if you have any love for your life.
कर्ण उवाच को मामेवं भवान् प्राह दर्शयन् सौहृदं परम्। कामया भगवन् ब्रूहि को भवान् द्विजवेषधृक्॥
Karna said: Who are you, that, showing so great an affection for me, are addressing me thus? Tell me, O god, if you desire, who you are in the shape of a Brahmana.
ब्राह्मण उवाच अहं तात सहस्रांशुः सौहृदात् त्वां निदर्शये। कुरुष्वैतद् वचो मे त्वमेतच्छ्रेयः परं हि ते॥
The Brahmana said : O child, I am the god of hundred rays (sun). Out of affection I give you this advice. Act in obedience to my advice as it is highly beneficial to you.
कर्ण उवाच श्रेय एव ममात्यन्तं यस्य मे गोपतिः : प्रभुः। प्रवक्ताद्य हितान्वेषी शृणु चेदं वचो मम॥
Karna said : It is (no doubt) highly fortunate for me that the lord god of splendour, desirous of my welfare, speaks to me today. Listen to my words.
प्रसादये त्वां वरदं प्रणयाच्च ब्रवीम्यहम्। न निवार्यो व्रतास्मादहं यद्यस्मि ते प्रियः॥
I am adoring you, who are the giver of boons and out of love am saying to you this. If I am at all dear to you, I should not be prevented (by you) from observing this vow.
व्रतं वै मम लोकोऽयं वेत्ति कृत्स्नं विभावसो। यथाहं द्विजमुख्येभ्यो दद्यां प्राणानपि ध्रुवम्॥
O Vibhavasu, all the world is aware of this vow on my part that I am surely ever ready to give my very life to the best of Brahmanas.
यद्यागच्छति मां शक्रो ब्राह्मणच्छद्यना वृतः। हितार्थं पाण्डुपुत्राणां खेचरोत्तम भिक्षितुम्॥ दास्यामि विबुधश्रेष्ठ कुण्डले वर्म चोत्तमम्। न मे कीर्तिः प्रणश्येत त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुता।॥
If, O best of sky-rangers, Shakra disguised as a Brahmana comes to me to beg (the earrings) for the good of the sons of Pandu, then, O best of the celestials, I will give the car-rings and the excellent armour. In that case my renown which has spread over the three worlds, will not be at a discount.
मद्विधस्य यशस्यं हि न युक्तं प्राणरक्षणम्। युक्तं हि यशसा युक्तं मरणं लोकसम्मतम्॥
It is not at all proper for men like us to save life by a degrading act. Death coupled with honour and meeting with the approbation of the world is preferable.
सोऽहमिन्द्राय दास्यामि कुण्डले सह वर्मणा। यदि मां बलवृत्रघ्नो भिक्षार्थमुपयास्यति॥
Therefore I will give the ear-rings together with the armour to Indra. If the slayer of Bala and Vritra comes to me to beg.
हितार्थं पाण्डुपुत्राणां कुण्डले मे प्रयाचितुम्। तन्मे कीर्तिकरं लोके तस्याकीर्तिर्भविष्यति॥
The ear-rings for the good of the sons of Pandu, then the whole world will be redolent of my fame and will proclaim his infamy.
वृणोमि कीर्ति लोके हि जीवितेनापि भानुमन्। कीर्तिमानश्नुते स्वर्ग हीनकीर्तिस्तु नश्यति॥
O Brahmana, I long for renown in this world even at the sacrifice of my life. Men having renown attain to heaven while those having none are lost.
कीर्तिर्हि पुरुषं लोके संजीवयति मातृवत्। अकीर्तिर्जीवितं हन्ति जीवतोऽपि शरीरिणः॥
Even like a mother fame keeps people alive; but a man given to in famy is as good as dead even though his frame be not destroyed.
अयं पुराणः श्लोको हि स्वयं गीतो विभावसो। धात्रा लोकेश्वर यथा कीर्तिरायुर्नरस्य ह॥
O Vibhavasu, O lord of the worlds, that fame is the very life of man is evident from the (following) ancient sloka (verse) sung by the creator himself.
पुरुषस्य परे लोके कीतिरेव परायणम्। इह लोके विशुद्धा च कीर्तिरायुर्विवर्द्धनी॥
"In the next world fame leads men to supreme bliss while in this pure fame prolongs life."
सोऽहं शरीरजे दत्त्वा कीर्ति प्राप्स्यामि शाश्वतीम् दत्त्वा च विधिवद् दानं ब्राह्मणेभ्यो यथाविधि।॥ हुत्वा शरीरं संग्रामे कृत्वा कर्म सुदुष्करम्। विजित्य च परानाजौ यशः प्राप्स्यामि केवलम्॥
So, I will win an everlasting renown by giving (my car-rings) born with my body. By duly bestowing on the Brahmanas (gifts) sanctioned by ordinances, by sacrificing my life in battle on performing unachievable feats and by conquering my enemies I will win nothing but fame.
भीतानामभयं दत्त्वा संग्रामे जीवितार्थिनाम्। वृद्धान् बालान् द्विजातींश्च मोक्षयित्वा महाभयात्॥ प्राप्स्यामि परमं लोके यशः स्वर्ग्यमनुत्तमम्। जीवितेनापि मे रक्ष्या कीर्तिस्तद् विद्धि मे व्रतम्॥
By sparing the affrighted in battle who crave their lives and delivering old men, children and the twicc-born ones, from great danger, I will win a great renown in this world and have access to the highest heaven (in the next).
सोऽहं दत्त्वा मघवते भिक्षामेतामनुत्तमाम्। ब्राह्मणच्छदिने देव लोके गन्ता परां गतिम्॥
Know this to be my solemn determination that I will preserve my fame even at the sacrifice of my very life.