कर्ण उवाच
राधेयो ऽहम् आधिरथिः कर्णस् त्वाम् अभिवादये ॥
प्राप्ता किमर्थं भवती ब्रूहि किं करवाणि ते ॥
कुन्त्य् उवाच
कौन्तेयस् त्वं न राधेयो न तवाधिरथः पिता ॥
नासि सूतकुले जातः कर्ण तद् विद्धि मे वचः ॥
कानीनस् त्वं मया जातः पूर्वजः कुक्षिणा धृतः ॥
कुन्तिभोजस्य भवने पार्थस् त्वम् असि पुत्रक ॥
प्रकाशकर्मा तपनो यो ऽयं देवो विरोचनः ॥
अजीजनत् त्वां मय्य् एष कर्ण शस्त्रभृतां वरम् ॥
कुण्डली बद्धकवचो देवगर्भः श्रिया वृतः ॥
जातस् त्वम् असि दुर्धर्ष मया पुत्र पितुर् गृहे ॥
karṇa uvāca
rādheyo 'ham ādhirathiḥ karṇas tvām abhivādaye ||
prāptā kimarthaṃ bhavatī brūhi kiṃ karavāṇi te ||
kunty uvāca
kaunteyas tvaṃ na rādheyo na tavādhirathaḥ pitā ||
nāsi sūtakule jātaḥ karṇa tad viddhi me vacaḥ ||
kānīnas tvaṃ mayā jātaḥ pūrvajaḥ kukṣiṇā dhṛtaḥ ||
kuntibhojasya bhavane pārthas tvam asi putraka ||
prakāśakarmā tapano yo 'yaṃ devo virocanaḥ ||
ajījanat tvāṃ mayy eṣa karṇa śastrabhṛtāṃ varam ||
kuṇḍalī baddhakavaco devagarbhaḥ śriyā vṛtaḥ ||
jātas tvam asi durdharṣa mayā putra pitur gṛhe ||
Karna said: "I am Radheya, son of Adhiratha, Karna; I bow to you respectfully. For what purpose has the honored lady come? Tell me, what shall I do for you?" Kunti said: "You are Kaunteya, not Radheya; Adhiratha is not your father. You were not born in the suta lineage, O Karna; know this, my word. You are a son born of a maiden; you were born of me, borne in the womb before the others. In the house of Kuntibhoja, my son, you are a son of Pritha. This radiant god, the scorching Sun, whose deeds bring light, begot you in me, O Karna, best among bearers of weapons. Wearing earrings, in innate armor, of divine origin, endowed with beauty, you were born to me, O unassailable son, in the house of my father."
c5e22042dbf2 · published Jul 17, 2026, 6:17:17 AM UTC
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Kunti speaks to Karna not as a political negotiator but as a mother revealing the hidden truth of his birth. Her argument rests on the dharma of kinship: acknowledging Karna's seniority should restore his honor, unite the brothers, and check the unrighteous.