Shloka 12
Nala’s Embassy to Damayantī and the Gods’ Proposal (नलस्य दूतत्वं देवप्रस्तावश्च)
वयं हि सह कृष्णेन हत्वा कर्णमुखान् परान् | स्वबाहुविजितां कृत्स्नां प्रशासेम वसुन्धराम्,“भगवान् श्रीकृष्णके साथ हमलोग कर्ण आदि शत्रुओंको मारकर अपने बाहुबलसे जीती हुई सम्पूर्ण पृथ्वीका शासन कर सकते हैं
vaiśampāyana uvāca | vayaṃ hi saha kṛṣṇena hatvā karṇamukhān parān | svabāhuvijitāṃ kṛtsnāṃ praśāsema vasundharām ||
Vaiśampāyana sprach: „Wahrlich, mit Kṛṣṇa an unserer Seite könnten wir, nachdem wir das feindliche Heer unter Karṇas Führung erschlagen haben, die ganze Erde beherrschen—durch die Kraft unserer eigenen Arme errungen.“
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a political-moral tension: the confidence that military strength and a powerful ally can secure sovereignty, while implicitly inviting reflection on whether rulership grounded in conquest aligns with dharma and the responsibilities of just governance.
A speaker (reported by Vaiśampāyana) asserts that, with Kṛṣṇa’s support, they could defeat the opposing champions led by Karṇa and thereby govern the whole earth as a realm won through their own martial prowess.