Mahabharata · 5.144.26
॥
Devanāgarī
अनामयं स्वस्ति चेति पृथाथो कर्णम् अब्रवीत् ॥
तां कर्णो ऽभ्यवदत् प्रीतस् ततस् तौ जग्मतुः पृथक् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
anāmayaṃ svasti ceti pṛthātho karṇam abravīt ||
tāṃ karṇo 'bhyavadat prītas tatas tau jagmatuḥ pṛthak ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अनामयंanāmayaṃhealth; freedom from illness
स्वस्तिsvastiwell-being; happiness
चेतिcetiand thus; with these words
पृथाथोpṛthāthothen Pritha; Pritha, for her part
कर्णम्karṇamKarna; the son of Radha
अब्रवीत्abravītsaid; spoke
तांtāṃto her; her
कर्णोkarṇoKarna; the son of Radha
ऽभ्यवदत्'bhyavadatanswered; replied
प्रीतस्prītaspleased; with warmth
ततस्tatasthen; after that
तौtauthe two of them; both
जग्मतुःjagmatuḥwent; departed
पृथक्pṛthakseparately; each their own way
Translation
Then Pritha said to Karna: ‘Health and well-being to you.’ Karna answered her with warmth, and after that the two of them went their separate ways.
Version
3c6b05ab48e9 · published Jul 17, 2026, 6:17:17 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Karna acknowledges the truth spoken by Kunti and the Sun, but chooses loyalty to those who took him in. His dharma here is tragic: he does not go over to his brothers, yet he gives his mother a genuine promise of mercy, sparing four of the Pandavas from his hand.