Shloka 150
आदि पर्व, अध्याय 67 — गान्धर्वविवाह-समयः
Duḥṣanta–Śakuntalā: Gandharva Marriage and Succession Condition
दुर्योधनस्यथ सचिवं मित्र शत्रुविनाशनम् | दिवाकरस्य त॑ विद्धि राजन्नंशमनुत्तमम्,वह दुर्योधनका मन्त्री और मित्र होनेके साथ ही उसके शत्रुओंका नाश करनेवाला था। राजन! तुम कर्णको साक्षात् सूर्यदेवका सर्वोत्तम अंश जानो
duryodhanasyātha sacivaṃ mitraśatruvināśanam | divākarasya taṃ viddhi rājann aṃśam anuttamam ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “He was Duryodhana’s minister and friend, and a destroyer of his enemies. O King, know him to be the unsurpassed portion of the Sun-god.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames Karna’s worldly power and influence—minister, ally, and enemy-destroyer—as grounded in a divine source, reminding the listener that political and martial force in the epic is often tied to origin, destiny, and cosmic order.
Vaiśampāyana identifies the figure being described (Karna) as Duryodhana’s key counsellor and friend, and declares to the king (Janamejaya) that Karna is an unsurpassed portion of the Sun-god, emphasizing his extraordinary stature.