Shloka 19
Sundopasundayoḥ Tapas–Varadāna–Prasaṅgaḥ
Sunda and Upasunda: Austerities and the Boon
ते बलेन वयं राजन् महता चतुरद्धिणा । प्रमथ्य ट्रुपदं शीघ्रमानयामेह पाण्डवान्,राजन्! हमलोग विशाल चतुरंगिणी सेनाके द्वारा राजा ट्रपदको कुचलकर शीघ्र ही यहाँ पाण्डवोंको कैद कर लायें
te balena vayaṃ rājan mahātā catur-aṅgiṇā | pramathya drupadaṃ śīghram ānayāma iha pāṇḍavān, rājan ||
Karna sprach: „O König, mit unserer Kraft und mit einem großen viergliedrigen Heer werden wir König Drupada rasch zerschmettern und die Pāṇḍavas als Gefangene hierher bringen.“
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how reliance on sheer force and humiliation of opponents can drive political decisions; it implicitly invites reflection on dharma—whether ends like dominance and revenge justify violent means such as crushing a king and seizing others as captives.
Karna proposes to the king (Duryodhana) a rapid military action: using a large fourfold army to subdue Drupada and then bring the Pāṇḍavas back as prisoners, indicating an escalation toward coercive conflict.