Mahabharata · Chapter 3.301

yattattadā mahadbrahmam̐llomaśo vākyamabravīt /
indrasya vacanādeva pāṇḍuputraṃ yudhiṣṭhiram //

yaccāpi te bhayaṃ tīvraṃ na ca kīrtayase kvacit /
taccāpyapahariṣyāmi dhanañjaya ito gate //

kinnu ratajjapatāṃśreṣṭha karṇaṃ prati mahadbhayam /
āsīnna ca sa dharmātmā kathayāmāsa kasyacit //
vaiśampāyana uvāca /

ahaṃ te rājaśārdūla kathayāmi kathāmimām /
pṛcchato bharataśreṣṭha śuśrūṣasva giraṃ mama //

dvādaśe samatikrānte varṣe prāpte trayodaśe /
pāṇḍūnāṃ hitakṛcchakraḥ karṇaṃ bhikṣitumudyataḥ //

abhiprāyamatho jñātvā mahendrasya vibhāvasuḥ /
kuṇḍalārthe mahārāja sūryaḥ karṇamupāgataḥ //

mahārhe śayane vīraṃ sparddhyāstaraṇasaṃvṛte /
śayānamativiśvastaṃ brahmaṇyaṃ satyavādinam //

svapnānte niśi rājendra darśayāmāsa raśmivān /
kṛpayā parayā'viṣṭaḥ putrasnehācca bhārata //

brāhmaṇo vedavidbhūtvā sūryo yogarddhirūpavān /
hitārthamabravītkarṇaṃ sāntvapūrvamidaṃ vacaḥ //

karṇa madvacanaṃ tāta śṛṇu satyabhṛtāṃvara /
bruvato'dya mahābāho sauhṛdātparamaṃ hitam //

upāyāsyati śakrastvāṃ pāṇḍavānāṃ hitepsayā /
brāhmaṇacchadmanā karṇa kuṇḍalopajihīrṣayā //

viditaṃ tena śīlaṃ te sarvasya jagatastathā /
yathā tvaṃ bhikṣitaḥ sadbhirdadāsyeva na yācase //

tvaṃ hi tāta dadāsyeva brāhmaṇebhyaḥ prayācitam /
vittaṃ yaccānyadapyāhurna pratyākhyāsi kasyacit //

tvāṃ tu caivaṃvidhaṃ jñātvā svayaṃ vai pākaśāsanaḥ /
āgantā rakuṇḍalārthāya kavacaṃ caiva bhikṣitum //

tasmai prayācamānāya na deye kuṇḍale tvayā /
anuneyaḥ paraṃ śaktyā śreya etaddhi te param //

kuṇḍalārthe'bruvaṃstāta kāraṇairbahubhistvayā /
anyairbahuvidhairvittaiḥ sannivāryaḥ punaḥpunaḥ //

ratnaiḥ strībhistathā gobhirdhanairbahuvidhairapi /
nidarśanaiśca bahubhiḥ kuṇḍalepsuḥ purandaraḥ //

yadi dāsyasi karṇa tvaṃ sahaje kuṇḍale śubhe /
āyuṣaḥ prakṣayaṃ gatvā mṛtyorvaśamupaiṣyasi //

kavacena samāyuktaḥ kuṇḍalābhyāṃ ca mānada /
avadhyastvaṃ raṇe'rīṇāmiti viddhi vaco mama //

amṛtādutthitaṃ hyetadubhayaṃ ratnasammitam /
tasmādrakṣyaṃ tvayā karṇa jīvitaṃ cetpriyaṃ tava //
karṇa uvāca /

ko māmevaṃ bhavānprāha darśayansauhṛdaṃ param /
kāmayā bhagavanbrūhi ko bhavāndvijaveṣadhṛk //
brahmaṇa uvāca /

ahaṃ tāta sahasrāṃśuḥ sauhṛdāttvāṃ nidarśaye /
kuruṣvaitadvayo me tvametacchreyaḥ paraṃ hi te //
karṇa uvāca /

śreya eva mamātyantaṃ yasya me gopatiḥ prabhuḥ /
pravaktā'dya hitānveṣī śṛṇu cedaṃ vaco mama //

prasādaye tvāṃ varadaṃ praṇayācca bravīmyaham /
na nivāryo vratādasmādahaṃ yadyasmi te priyaḥ //

vrataṃ vai mama loko'yaṃ vetti kṛtsnaṃ vibhāvaso /
yathā'haṃ dvijamukhyebhyo dadyāṃ prāṇānapidhruvam //

yadyāgacchati māṃ śakro brāhmaṇacchadmanā vṛtaḥ /
hitārthaṃ pāṇḍuputrāṇāṃ khecarottama bhikṣitum //

dāsyāmi vibudhaśreṣṭha kuṇḍale varma cottamam /
na me kīrtiḥ praṇaśyeta triṣu lokeṣu viśrutā //

madvidhasyāyaśasyaṃ hi na yuktaṃ prāṇarakṣaṇam /
yuktaṃ hi yaśasā yuktaṃ maraṇaṃ lokasammatam //

sohamindrāya dāsyāmi kuṇḍale saha varmaṇā /
yadi māṃ balavṛtraghno bhikṣārthamupayāsyati //

hitārthaṃ pāṇḍuputrāṇāṃ kuṇḍale me prayācitum /
tanme kīrtikaraṃ loke tasyākīrtirbhaviṣyati //

vṛṇomi kīrtiṃ loke hi jīvitenāpi bhānuman /
kīrtimānaśnute svargaṃ hīnakīrtistu naśyati //

kīrtirhi puruṣaṃ loke sañjīvayati mātṛvat /
akīrtirjīvitaṃ hanti jīvatopi śarīriṇaḥ //

ayampurāṇaḥ śloko hi svayaṃ gīto vibhāvaso /
dhātrā lokeśvara yathā kīrtirāyurnarasya ha //

puruṣasya pare loke kīrtireva parāyaṇam /
iha loke viśuddhā ca kīrtirāyurvivardhanī //

sohaṃ śarīraje dattvā kīrtiṃ prāpsyāmi śāśvatīm /
dattvā ca vidhivaddānaṃ brāhmaṇebhyo yathāvidhi //

hutvā śarīraṃ rasangrāme kṛtvā karma suduṣkaram /
vijitya ca parānājau yaśaḥ prāpsyāmi kevalam //

bhītānāmabhayaṃ dattvā sangrāme jīvitārthinām /
vṛddhānvālāndvijātīṃśca mokṣayitvā mahābhayāt //

prāpsyāmi paramaṃ loke yaśaḥ svargyamanuttamam /
jīvitenāpi me rakṣyā kīrtistadvidvi me vratam //

so haṃ dattvā maghavate bhikṣāmetāmanuttamām / brāhmaṇacchadmine deva loke gantā parāṃ gatim //