Shloka 17
Karṇa’s advance against the Pāṇḍava host; Arjuna’s clash with the Saṃśaptakas (कर्णस्य पाण्डवसेनाप्रवेशः—अर्जुनस्य संशप्तकसंप्रहारः)
ततो मय: स्वतपसा चक्रे धीमान् पुराणि च | त्रीणि काञ्चनमेकं वै रौप्यं कार्ष्णायसं तथा
tato mayaḥ svatapasā cakre dhīmān purāṇi ca | trīṇi kāñcanam ekaṃ vai raupyaṃ kārṣṇāyasaṃ tathā | nibodha manasā cātra na te kāryā vicāraṇā |
Duryodhana sprach: „Dann schuf der weise Maya durch die Kraft seiner eigenen Askese befestigte Städte—drei an der Zahl: eine aus Gold, eine aus Silber und eine aus dunklem Eisen. Achte mit festem Geist darauf; zweifle nicht.“
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights tapas as a potent force capable of producing extraordinary results, and it also shows how speakers in epic counsel invoke authoritative mythic precedent to secure confidence and suppress doubt in a listener.
Duryodhana, addressing the Madra king (Śalya) in the wider passage, recounts an ancient episode: the Asura architect Maya, empowered by austerities, constructed three formidable cities—one of gold, one of silver, and one of iron—and Duryodhana urges the listener to accept the account without hesitation.