Shloka 30
Sabhā Parva, Adhyāya 68 — Pāṇḍavānāṃ Vanavāsa-prasthānaḥ; Duḥśāsana-nindā; Pāṇḍava-pratijñāḥ
धृतराष्ट्रकुमार! तुम केवल अपनी मूर्खताके कारण आप ही अपने पैरोंमें कुल्हाड़ी मार रहे हो; क्योंकि तुम बालक होकर भी भरी सभामें वृद्धोंकी-सी बातें करते हो ।।
Dhṛtarāṣṭrakumāra! tvaṃ kevalaṃ svamūḍhatākāraṇād ātmanaiva svapādayoḥ kuṭhāram ādadhe; yasmāt tvaṃ bālako ’pi bhari sabhāyāṃ vṛddhānām iva vākyāni bhāṣase. Na ca dharmaṃ yathāvat tvaṃ vetsi, Duryodhana-āvara; yad bravīṣi jitāṃ Kṛṣṇāṃ na jitety ati-sumanda-dhīḥ.
Karna sprach: „O Sohn Dhritarashtras, aus lauter Torheit schlägst du die Axt auf deine eigenen Füße. Obwohl noch ein Knabe, redest du in der vollbesetzten Versammlung wie ein Ältester. Du verstehst Dharma nicht recht, o Anhänger Duryodhanas; und mit stumpfem Sinn erklärst du, Krishnaa (Draupadi) sei, obwohl gewonnen, nicht gewonnen.“
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse warns that speaking beyond one’s understanding—especially about dharma—can become self-destructive. Karna frames reckless, self-serving argumentation in the assembly as ‘cutting one’s own feet with an axe,’ emphasizing ethical discernment and restraint in public counsel.
In the dice-hall controversy over Draupadi’s status, a Kaurava prince argues that Draupadi was ‘not won.’ Karna rebukes him as immature and ignorant of dharma, aligning the dispute with the larger moral collapse unfolding in the royal assembly.