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.
ततो दिव्या दुन्दुभयः प्रणेदुः पपातोच्चैः पुष्पवर्षं च दिव्यम्। दृष्ट्वा कर्णं शस्त्रसंकृत्तगात्रं महुश्चापि स्मयमानं नृवीरम्
Then celestial drums resounded, and a shower of divine flowers fell from above, as the gods beheld Karna, his body wounded by weapons, yet the great hero stood there, smiling.
ततश्छित्त्वा कवचं दिव्यमङ्गा- त्तथैवार्द्रं प्रददौ वासवाय। तथोत्कृत्य प्रददौ कुण्डले ते कर्णात्तस्मात्कर्मणा तेन कर्णः
Then, having cut away the divine armor from his body, still moist, he gave it to Vasava; likewise, having removed them, he gave his earrings to you—thus, by this act, Karna became Karna.
ततः पश्चाद्दिवमेवोत्पपात
After that, he immediately ascended to the heavens.
श्रुत्वा कर्णं मुषितं धार्तराष्ट्रा दीनाः सर्वे भग्नदर्पा इवासन्। तां रचावस्थां गमितं सूतपुत्रं श्रुत्वा पार्था जहृपुः काननस्थाः
Hearing that Karna had been deprived, all the sons of Dhritarashtra became dejected, their pride broken; but when the Pandavas dwelling in the forest heard of the condition brought upon the son of the charioteer, they rejoiced.
क्वस्ता वीराः पाण्डवास्ते बभूवुः कुतश्चैते श्रुतवन्तः प्रियं तत्। किं वाऽकार्षुर्द्वादशेऽब्दे व्यतीते तन्मे सर्वं भगवान्व्याकरोतु
Where were those heroic Pandavas then, and how did they hear this pleasing news? What did they do after the twelfth year had passed? May the venerable sage explain all this to me.
लब्ध्वा कृष्णां सैन्धवं द्रावयित्वा विप्रैः सार्धं काम्यकादाश्रमात्ते। मार्कण्डेयाच्छ्रुतवन्तः पुराणं कदेवर्षीणआं चरितं विस्तरेण
Having recovered Krishna and driven away the prince of Sindhu, together with the Brahmanas, they left the hermitage of Kamyaka; from Markandeya they heard the Purana, the detailed tales of the ancient seers.
प्रत्याजग्मुः सरथाः सानुयात्राः सर्वैः सार्धं सूतपौरोगवैस्ते। ततो ययुर्द्वैतवनं नृवीरा निस्तीर्यैवं वनवासं समग्रम्
Then, with their chariots and followers, accompanied by all the sons of the charioteers and priests, the heroic kings returned; thus, having completed their forest exile, they went to the Dvaita forest.
एवं हृतायां भार्यायां प्राप्य क्लेशमनुत्तमम्। प्रतिपद्य ततः कृष्णां किमकुर्वत पाण्डवाः
When their wife had been taken and they had endured unparalleled hardship, what did the Pandavas do after regaining Krishna?
एवं हृतायां कृष्णायां प्राप्य क्लेशमनुत्तमम्। विहाय काम्यकं राजा सह भ्रातृभिरच्युतः
After Krishna had been taken and they had suffered immense distress, the king, leaving Kamyaka with his brothers and Achyuta, departed.
पुनर्द्वैतवनं रम्यमाजगाम युधिष्ठिरः। स्वादुमूलफलं रम्यं विचित्रबहुपादपम्
Yudhishthira returned again to the delightful Dvaita forest, abundant with sweet roots and fruits, and adorned with many wondrous trees.