Shloka 3
Chapter 137: Yuyudhāna (Sātyaki) Slays Somadatta; Yudhiṣṭhira Redirected from Droṇa
इति दुर्योधनस्याहमश्रौषं जल्पतो मुहुः । कर्णो हि बलवान् शूरो दृढ्धन्वा जितक्लम:
iti duryodhanasyāham aśrauṣaṁ jalpato muhuḥ | karṇo hi balavān śūro dṛḍhadhanvā jitaklamaḥ ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “Thus I repeatedly heard Duryodhana speaking. For Karṇa is indeed powerful and heroic—firm of bow, and one whose fatigue has been conquered.”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how wartime confidence is often built by praising a champion’s strength and endurance. Ethically, it hints at the danger of relying on martial prowess and repeated self-affirming talk as a substitute for clear-sighted judgment and responsibility in dharma-conflict.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra reports that he kept hearing Duryodhana speak repeatedly, emphasizing Karṇa’s qualities—strength, heroism, steady archery, and tirelessness—suggesting Duryodhana’s reliance on Karṇa as a key support in the ongoing battle.