Shloka 21
Karṇa’s advance against the Pāṇḍava host; Arjuna’s clash with the Saṃśaptakas (कर्णस्य पाण्डवसेनाप्रवेशः—अर्जुनस्य संशप्तकसंप्रहारः)
पुरेषु चाभवन् राजन् राजानो वै पृथक् पृथक् । काज्चनं तारकाक्षस्य चित्रमासीन्महात्मन:
pureṣu cābhavan rājan rājāno vai pṛthak pṛthak | kāñcanaṃ tārakākṣasya citram āsīn mahātmanaḥ | nibodha manasā cātra na te kāryā vicāraṇā ||
Duryodhana sprach: „O König, in jenen Städten gab es Könige, und jeder herrschte für sich. Die wunderbare Stadt aus Gold gehörte dem großgesinnten Tārakākṣa. Höre dies mit festem Sinn; hege keinen Zweifel.“
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how persuasive speech asserts authority: Duryodhana frames a mythic precedent and urges the listener to accept it without doubt. Ethically, it shows how narratives can be used to influence judgment—either to clarify truth or to pressure assent.
Duryodhana addresses Śalya and begins recounting the Tripura episode: the three demon cities had separate rulers, and the splendid golden city belonged to Tārakākṣa. He asks Śalya to listen attentively and not to question the account.