Shloka 40
कर्णेन सैन्यस्थापनं तथा नानायुद्धसमवायः
Karna Reforms the Host and Multiple Duels Converge
शल्य उवाच आतुराणां परित्याग: स्वदारसुतविक्रय: । अड़े प्रवर्तते कर्ण येषामधिपतिर्भवान्
śalya uvāca | āturāṇāṁ parityāgaḥ svadāra-suta-vikrayaḥ | aṅge pravartate karṇa yeṣām adhipatir bhavān |
Śalya sprach: „Karna, im Land Aṅga—über das man dich zum Herrscher gemacht hat—soll man solche Bräuche kennen: Wenn die eigenen Verwandten krank werden, lässt man sie im Stich; ja, man verkauft dort sogar die eigene Frau und die eigenen Kinder auf dem Markt.“
शल्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse condemns adharma in social and familial duties: abandoning sick relatives and commodifying one’s own family are presented as morally corrupt practices, used here to shame a ruler by implying failure of righteous governance and community values.
On the battlefield, Śalya—serving as Karna’s charioteer—provokes and demoralizes Karna by deriding the land of Aṅga, where Karna was made king, accusing its people of heartless and disgraceful customs.