कर्णेन व्यूहविधानम् — Karṇa’s Battle Formation and the Pāṇḍava Counter-Plan
Adhyāya 31
संजय उवाच तथेति राजन पुत्रस्ते सह कर्णेन भारत । अब्रवीन्मद्रराजस्यथ मतं भरतसत्तम,संजयने कहा--भारत! भरतभूषण नरेश! इसपर कर्णसहित आपके पुत्रने “बहुत अच्छा” कहकर शल्यकी शर्त स्वीकार कर ली
sañjaya uvāca | tatheti rājan putras te saha karṇena bhārata | abravīn madrarājasya atha mataṃ bharatasattama ||
Sañjaya sprach: „So sei es, o König.“ Da erwiderte dein Sohn, o Bharata, zusammen mit Karna zustimmend und nahm die Absicht und die Bedingungen an, die der König von Madra vorgebracht hatte, o Bester der Bhāratas.
संजय उवाच
Even in war, spoken assent creates binding obligations: a simple ‘tathā’ functions as a moral and strategic commitment. The verse highlights how alliances and battlefield roles are shaped by negotiated terms, testing the balance between expediency and honor.
Sanjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Duryodhana, with Karna, agrees—saying ‘so be it’—to the stance/conditions set by Śalya, the king of Madra, thereby accepting Śalya’s proposed arrangement for the coming engagement.