12.002
Pancharatra-Ext: Sage Narada narrates Karna's story of how he became a disciple of Bharadwaja to learn Brahmastra, faking himself as a Brahmin. Then by accident he killed a cow and was cursed by a Brahmin.
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said:
sa evam-uktas tu munir nārado vadatāṃ varaḥ। kathayām āsa tat sarvaṃ yathā śaptaḥ sa sūtajaḥ ॥12-2-1॥
Thus addressed, the sage Nārada, foremost among speakers, narrated everything about how the son of a sūta had been cursed.
evam etan mahābāho yathā vadasi bhārata। na karṇārjunayoḥ kiñcid aviṣahyaṃ bhaved raṇe ॥12-2-2॥
O mighty-armed one, it is just as you say, O Bhārata; in battle, there is nothing that would be insurmountable for Karṇa and Arjuna.
guhyam etat tu devānām kathayiṣyāmi te nṛpa। tan nibodha mahārāja yathā vṛttam idaṃ purā ॥12-2-3॥
O king, I shall tell you this secret of the gods. Understand, O great king, how this happened in ancient times.
kṣatraṃ svargaṃ kathaṃ gacchec chastrapūtam iti prabho। saṅgharṣa-jananas tasmāt kanyā-garbho vinirmitaḥ ॥12-2-4॥
O lord, how can the warrior class attain heaven, being purified by weapons? Therefore, the womb of a maiden was created as the source of conflict.
sa bālas tejasā yuktaḥ sūtaputratvam āgataḥ। cakārāṅgirasāṃ śreṣṭhe dhanurvedaṃ gurau tava ॥12-2-5॥
He, as a brilliant boy who had become a charioteer's son, studied the science of archery under your foremost teacher of the Angiras lineage.
sa balaṃ bhīmasenasya phalgunasya ca lāghavam। buddhiṃ ca tava rājendra yamayorvinayaṃ tathā ॥12-2-6॥
He had the strength of Bhīmasena, the agility of Phalguna, your intellect, O king, and also the humility of the two Yamas.
sakhyaṃ ca vāsudevena bālye gāṇḍivadhanvanaḥ। prajānāmanurāgaṃ ca cintayāno vyadahyata ॥12-2-7॥
Thinking of his childhood friendship with Vāsudeva and the affection of the people, the wielder of the Gāṇḍīva bow was consumed with grief.
sa sakhyam agamad bālye rājñā duryodhanena vai। yuṣmābhir nitya-saṃdviṣṭaḥ daivāc cāpi svabhāvataḥ॥12-2-8॥
He formed a friendship with King Duryodhana in his childhood; he was always hated by you, both by fate and by nature.
vidyādhikam athālakṣya dhanurvede dhanañjayam। droṇaṃ rahasyupāgamya karṇo vacanam abravīt ॥12-2-9॥
Seeing that Arjuna excelled in archery, Karṇa secretly approached Droṇa and spoke to him.
brahmāstraṃ vettum icchāmi sarahasya-nivartanam। arjunena samo yuddhe bhaveyam iti me matiḥ ॥12-2-10॥
I wish to learn the Brahmāstra, including the secret of its withdrawal. My intention is to become Arjuna's equal in battle.
samaḥ putreṣu ca snehaḥ śiṣyeṣu ca tava dhruvam। tvatprasādānna māṃ brūyurakṛtāstraṃ vicakṣaṇāḥ ॥12-2-11॥
You are impartial among your sons and affectionate towards your disciples. Surely, by your grace, the wise would not call me unskilled in weapons.
droṇas tathoktaḥ karṇena sāpekṣaḥ phalgunaṃ prati। daurātmyaṃ cāpi karṇasya viditvā tam uvāca ha ॥12-2-12॥
Thus addressed by Karṇa, Droṇa, considering Arjuna and knowing also the wickedness of Karṇa, spoke to him.
brahmāstraṃ brāhmaṇo vidyādyathāvac caritavrataḥ। kṣatriyo vā tapasvī yo nānyo vidyāt kathaṃcana ॥12-2-13॥
A Brāhmaṇa who has properly observed vows should know the Brahmāstra; or a Kṣatriya ascetic may know it, but no one else should ever know it.
ityukto'ṅgirasāṃ śreṣṭhamāmantrya pratipūjya ca। jagāma sahasā rāmaṃ mahendraṃ parvataṃ prati ॥12-2-14॥
Thus, after being addressed, bidding farewell to the best of the Angiras sages and duly honoring him, he suddenly went to Rāma, towards the Mahendra mountain.
sa tu rāma-m-upāgamya śirasā-abhipraṇamya ca। brāhmaṇaḥ bhārgavaḥ asmi iti gauraveṇa abhyagacchat ॥12-2-15॥
But he approached Rāma, bowed his head in respect, and said, "I am a brāhmaṇa, a descendant of Bhṛgu," thus he came forward with reverence.
rāmas taṃ pratijagrāha pṛṣṭvā gotrādi sarvaśaḥ। uṣyatāṃ svāgataṃ ceti prītimāṃś cābhavad bhṛśam ॥12-2-16॥
Rāma welcomed him after inquiring thoroughly about his lineage and other details, saying, "Let him stay, welcome," and became extremely delighted.
tatra karṇasya vasato mahendre parvatottame। gandharvai rākṣasairyakṣairdevaiścāsītsamāgamaḥ ॥12-2-17॥
While Karṇa was residing on the supreme mountain Mahendra, there was a gathering of Gandharvas, Rākṣasas, Yakṣas, and Devas.
sa tatreṣv a-stram akarod bhṛgu-śreṣṭhād yathā-vidhi | priyaś cābhavad atyarthaṃ deva-gandharva-rakṣasām ॥12-2-18॥
There he made a weapon as prescribed by the best of Bhṛgus, and became greatly beloved by the gods, gandharvas, and rākṣasas.
sa kadācitsamudrānte vicarannāśramāntike। ekaḥ khaḍgadhanuṣpāṇiḥ paricakrāma sūtajaḥ ॥12-2-19॥
Once, while he was wandering near the hermitage at the ocean's edge, a charioteer's son, armed with sword and bow, was moving about.
so'gnīhotraprasaktasya kasyacid brahmavādinaḥ। jaghānājñānataḥ pārtha homadhenuṃ yadṛcchayā ॥12-2-20॥
O Pārtha, he, by chance and out of ignorance, killed the sacrificial cow belonging to a certain brahmavādin who was engaged in agnihotra.
tad ajñāna-kṛtaṃ matvā brāhmaṇāya nyavedayat। karṇaḥ prasādayaṃś ca enam idam ity abravīd vacaḥ ॥12-2-21॥
Thinking that it was done out of ignorance, he informed the Brāhmaṇa. Karṇa, seeking to appease him, spoke these words: "
abuddhipūrvaṃ bhagavandhenureṣā hatā tava। mayā tatra prasādaṃ me kuruṣveti punaḥ punaḥ ॥12-2-22॥
O Lord, without prior knowledge, I killed this cow of yours there; again and again I beg you, please show me your grace.
taṃ sa vipro'bravītkruddho vācā nirbhartsayanniva| durācāra vadhārhastvaṃ phalaṃ prāpnuhidurmate ॥12-2-23॥
The brāhmaṇa, angry, spoke to him as if rebuking: "You of wicked conduct, deserving death, evil-minded one, receive the result (of your actions)!"
yena vispardhase nityaṃ yadarthaṃ ghaṭase'niśam| yudhyatastena te pāpa bhūmiścakraṃ grasiṣyati ॥12-2-24॥
The one with whom you always compete and for whose sake you constantly strive—when he fights, your sin will be consumed by the wheel of the earth.
tataś cakre mahīgraste mūrdhānaṃ te vicetasaḥ। pātayiṣyati vikramya śatrur gaccha narādhama ॥12-2-25॥
Then, when the earth is swallowed, your unconscious head will be struck down by the enemy who advances. Go, you lowest of men.
yatheyaṃ gaurhatā mūḍha pramattena tvayā mama। pramattasyaivamevānyaḥ śiraste pātayiṣyati ॥12-2-26॥
Just as you, in your delusion and carelessness, have killed this cow of mine, in the same way, another careless person will cause your head to fall.
tataḥ prasādayāmāsa punastaṃ dvijasattamam। gobhirdhanaiśca ratnaiśca sa cainaṃ punarabravīt ॥12-2-27॥
Then he once again tried to please that excellent Brāhmaṇa with cows, wealth, and jewels, and he again addressed him.
nedaṃ madvyāhṛtaṃ kuryātsarvaloko'pi vai mṛṣā। gaccha vā tiṣṭha vā yadvā kāryaṃ te tatsamācara ॥12-2-28॥
No one at all should act falsely upon my words. Go, stand, or do whatever you must—just do your duty.
ityukto brāhmaṇenātha karṇo dainyādadhomukhaḥ। rāmamabhyāgamadbhītastadeva manasā smaran ॥12-2-29॥
Thus, when addressed by the Brāhmaṇa, Karṇa, dejected and with his face lowered, approached Rāma in fear, his mind dwelling only on that.
