Shloka 46
यस्य ब्राह्मणसात् सर्व वित्तमासीन्महात्मन: । नादेयं ब्राह्मणेष्वासीद् यस्प स्वमपि जीवितम्
yasya brāhmaṇasāt sarvaṁ vittam āsīn mahātmanaḥ | nādeyaṁ brāhmaṇeṣv āsīd yasya svam api jīvitam ||
Śalya sprach: „Der ganze Reichtum des großgesinnten Karṇa stand den Brāhmaṇas zur Verfügung. Für die Brāhmaṇas gab es nichts, was er zu geben verweigert hätte—nicht einmal sein eigenes Leben. Ein solcher Mann, stets den Frauen lieb und täglich dem Geben hingegeben, ist nun von Pārthas Pfeilen versengt worden und hat das höchste Ziel erreicht.“
शल्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dāna as a defining virtue: Karṇa’s identity is framed through radical generosity toward brāhmaṇas—so complete that even life itself is described as ‘not ungivable.’ It also underscores the Mahābhārata’s ethical tension: personal virtue does not necessarily prevent tragic outcomes in war.
Śalya, speaking in the aftermath of Karṇa’s fall, recalls Karṇa’s famed liberality and moral stature, then contrasts it with the battlefield reality: Karṇa has been struck down by Pārtha (Arjuna) and has ‘attained the highest end,’ i.e., death with the implied destiny of a warrior.