Bound.

 The final meeting between Karna and Gandhari, often referred to as the antim samvad (last dialogue), is a moving episode found in later retellings, regional traditions, and dramatic adaptations of the Mahabharata. It is not part of the Critical Edition of the Mahabharata.

The essence of the dialogue is profound:

Gandhari meets Karna before the great war.

She knows he is Duryodhana's greatest support and recognizes his nobility.

She appeals to him to prevent the impending destruction by leaving Duryodhana or making peace.

Karna respectfully refuses. He acknowledges that Duryodhana's path may not be righteous, yet he says gratitude (ṛṇa) binds him. When the world mocked and rejected him, Duryodhana gave him honor, friendship, and a kingdom. Karna cannot abandon him in his hour of need.

Gandhari blesses Karna despite knowing he fights on the losing side and laments that dharma itself seems divided among the warriors.

The dialogue highlights one of the Mahabharata's deepest dilemmas:

Bhishma is bound by his vow.

Drona is bound by obligation.

Karna is bound by gratitude.

Gandhari is bound by motherhood.

Krishna alone is bound only by dharma.

This is why the Mahabharata is not a story of heroes and villains alone. It is a story of noble people trapped by conflicting duties.

Karna's tragedy is summed up in a single thought:

"I know where dharma stands, yet I cannot abandon the hand that lifted me when the world cast me aside."

Whether or not these are his exact canonical words, they capture the spirit of Karna's character and explain why he remains one of the most admired and tragic figures in the Mahabharata.