Shloka 38
Adhyāya 123 — Droṇa’s Pedagogy: Arjuna’s Preeminence, Ekalavya’s Self-Training, and the Bhāsa-Lakṣya Trial
कार्तवीर्यसम: कुन्ति शिवतुल्यपराक्रम: । एष शक्र इवाजय्यो यशस्ते प्रथयिष्यति
kārtavīryasamaḥ kunti śivatulyaparākramaḥ | eṣa śakra ivājayyo yaśas te prathayiṣyati ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “O Kuntī, this child will be equal to Kārtavīrya in prowess, comparable to Śiva in heroic might, and—like Śakra (Indra)—unconquerable. He will spread your fame far and wide.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames ideal kingship and heroism as a force that uplifts one’s family and benefactors: true prowess is not merely personal strength but a dharmic glory that protects, proves invincibility against injustice, and expands rightful renown (yaśas) for one’s lineage.
Vaiśampāyana delivers a laudatory prediction about Kuntī’s child, describing him through exalted comparisons—Kārtavīrya for might, Śiva for valor, and Indra for invincibility—assuring Kuntī that the child will increase her fame.