सान्त्वितश्च यथाशक्ति पूजितश्च यथाविधि। न चान्यं स द्विजश्रेष्ठः कामयामास वै वरम्
Honored and comforted as best as possible and worshipped according to custom, the best of brahmins still did not desire any other boon.
यदा नान्य प्रवृणुते वरं वै द्विजसत्तमः। `विनाऽस् सहजं वर्म कुण्डले च विशांपते'। तदैनमब्रवीद्भूयो राधेयः प्रहसन्निव
When the foremost of brahmins would not choose any boon except for the natural armor and earrings, then Karna, son of Radha, spoke to him again with a smile.
सहजं वर्म मे विप्र कुण्डले चामृतोद्भवे। तेनावध्योस्मि लोकेषु ततो नैतज्जहाम्यहम्
'O brahmin, my natural armor and earrings were born with me; by them I am invulnerable in the worlds, and so I do not part with them.'
विशालं पृथिवीराज्यं क्षेमं निहतकण्टकम्। प्रतिगृह्णीष्व मत्तस्त्वं साधु ब्राह्मणपुङ्गव
'Accept from me a vast and prosperous kingdom, free from enemies, O best of brahmins.'
कुण्डलाभ्यां विमुक्तोऽहंवर्मणा सहजेन च। दमनीयो भविष्यामि शत्रूणां द्विजसत्तम
'If I am deprived of my earrings and natural armor, O best of brahmins, I will become vulnerable to my enemies.'
यदन्यं न वरं वव्रे भगवान्पाकशासनः। ततः प्रहस् कर्णस्तं पुनरित्यब्रवीद्वचः
When the lord wielder of the thunderbolt would not choose any other boon, Karna laughed and spoke to him again.
विदितो देवदेवेश प्रागेवासि मम प्रभो। न तु न्याय्यं मया दातुं तव शक्र वृथा वरम्
'O lord, I recognized you, the god of gods, even before you arrived; but it is not right for me to give you a boon in vain, O Shakra.'
त्वं हि देवेश्वरः साक्षात्त्वया देयो वरो मम। अन्येषां चैव भूतानामीश्वरो ह्यसि भूतकृत्
'You are indeed the lord of the gods, and the boon must be given to you by me; you are the lord and creator of all beings.'
यदि दास्यामि ते देव कुण्डले कवचं तथा। वध्यतामुपयास्यामि त्वं च शक्रावहास्यताम्
'If I give you, O god, the earrings and the armor, I will become subject to death, and you, O Shakra, will be ridiculed.'
तस्माद्विनिमयं कृत्वा कुण्डलेवर्म चोत्तमम्। हरस्व शक्रकामं मे न दद्यामहमन्यथा
'Therefore, let us make an exchange: take my excellent earrings and armor as you wish, O Shakra, for I will not give otherwise.'
विदितोऽहं रवेः पूर्वमायानेव तवान्तिकम्। तेन ते सर्वमाख्यातमेवमेतन्न संशयः
'I knew you before, O son of the Sun, when you came to me; thus, everything has been revealed to you, and so it is, without doubt.'
काममस्तु तथा तात तव कर्ण यथेच्छसि। वर्जयित्वा तु मे वज्रं प्रवृणीष्व यथेच्छसि
'So be it, dear one, let it be as you wish, O Karna; only except my thunderbolt, choose whatever else you desire.'
ततः कर्णः प्रहृष्टस्तु उपसंगम्य वासवम्। अमोघां शक्तिमभ्येत्य वव्रे सम्पूर्णमानसः
Then Karna, delighted, approached Indra and, with his heart full, requested the unfailing spear.
वर्मणा कुण्डलाभ्यां च शक्तिं मे देहि वासव। अमोघां शत्रुसङ्घानां घातिनीं पृथनामुखे
O Indra, grant me the spear, along with the armor and earrings, unfailing and deadly to hosts of enemies on the battlefield.
ततः सञ्चिन्त्य मनसा मुहूर्तमिव वासवः। शक्त्यर्थं पृथिवीपाल कर्णं वाक्यमथाब्रवीत्
Then Indra, pondering for a moment, addressed Karna, the protector of the earth, regarding the spear.
कुण्डले मे प्रयच्छस्व वर्म चैव शरीरजम्। गृहाण कर्ण शक्तिं त्वमनेन समयेन च
Give me your earrings and the armor born with your body; take the spear, Karna, under this condition.
अमोघा हन्ति शतशः शत्रून्मम करच्युता। पुनश्च पाणिमभ्येति मम दैत्यान्विनिघ्नतः
Released from my hand, this unfailing spear slays hundreds of enemies; after destroying demons, it returns to my hand.
सेयं तव करप्राप्ता हत्वैरकं रिपुमूर्जितम्। गर्जन्तं प्रतपन्तं च मामेवैष्यति सूतज
Now that it has come into your hand, it will kill a mighty enemy, roaring and blazing, and then return to me, O son of a charioteer.
एकमेवाहमिच्छामि रिपुं हन्तुं महाहवे। गर्जन्तंप्रतपन्तं च यतो मम भयं भवेत्
I desire to slay only one enemy in the great battle, one who roars and shines, from whom danger may arise for me.
एकं हनिष्यसि रिपुं गर्जन्तं बलिनं रणे। त्वं तु यं प्रार्थयस्येकं रक्ष्यते स महात्मना
You will slay one powerful enemy, roaring in battle; but the one you seek to kill will be protected by a great soul.
यमाहुर्वेदविद्वांसो वराहमपराजितम्। नारायणमचिन्त्यं च तेन कृष्णेन रक्ष्यते
The one whom the learned in the Vedas call the unconquerable boar, the inconceivable Narayana, is protected by Krishna.
एवमेतद्यथाऽऽत्थ त्वं दानवानां निषूदन। वधिष्यामि रणे शत्रुं यो मे स्थाता पुरस्सरः
So it is, as you say, O destroyer of demons; I will slay in battle the enemy who stands before me.
एवमप्यस्तु भगवन्नेकवीरवधे मम। अमोघां देहि मे शक्तिं यथा हन्यां प्रतापिनम्
Let it be so, O revered one, even if I can only kill a single hero; grant me the unfailing spear so I may slay the blazing foe.
उत्कृत्य तु प्रदास्यामि कुण्डले कवचं च ते। निकृत्तेषु तु गात्रेषु न मे बीभत्सता भवेत्
I will cut off and give you my earrings and armor; even when my limbs are cut, I will not feel revulsion.
न ते बीभत्सता कर्ण भविष्यति कथञ्चन। ब्रणश्चैव न गात्रेषु यस्त्वं नानृतमिच्छसि
You will never feel revulsion, Karna, in any way; nor will there be wounds on your body, since you do not wish for falsehood.
यादृशस्ते पितुर्वर्णस्तेजश्च वदतांवर। तादृशेनैव वर्णेन त्वं कर्ण भविता पुनः
As is the color and brilliance of your father, O best of speakers, so shall you be again, Karna, with the same appearance.
विद्यमानेषु शस्त्रेषु यद्यमोघामसंशये। प्रमत्तो मोक्ष्यसे चापि त्वय्येवैषा पतिष्यति
If, with weapons present, you release the unfailing spear carelessly, it will fall upon you yourself, without doubt.
संशयं परमं प्राप्य विमोक्ष्ये वासवीमिमाम्। यथा मामौत्थ शक्र त्वं सत्यमेतद्ब्रवीमि ते
Having reached the utmost uncertainty, I will release this spear of Indra; as you have said, O Shakra, I speak this truth to you.
ततः शक्तिं प्रज्वलितां प्रतिगृह् विशांपते। शस्त्रं गृहीत्वा निशितं सर्वगात्राण्यकृन्तत
Then, O lord of men, Karna received the blazing spear; taking the sharp weapon, he cut all his limbs.
ततो देवा मानवा दानवाश्च निकृन्तन्तं कर्णमात्मानमेव। दृष्ट्वा सर्वे सिंहनादान्प्रणेदु- र्न ह्यस्यासीन्मुखजो वै विकारः
Then, seeing Karna cutting himself, all the gods, humans, and demons roared like lions, for there was no distortion on his face.