समागम: पाण्डुसुतैर्दृष्टस्ते बहुशो युधि । सर्वत्र निर्जितश्चासि पाण्डवै: सूतनन्दन,'सूतनन्दन! पाण्डुके पुत्रोंसे युद्धस्थलमें तुम्हारी अनेकों बार मुठभेड़ हुई है; पंरतु सर्वत्र पाण्डवोंसे तुम्हीं परास्त हुए हो
samāgamaḥ pāṇḍusutair dṛṣṭas te bahuśo yudhi | sarvatra nirjitaś cāsi pāṇḍavaiḥ sūtanandana ||
Sañjaya said: “O son of a charioteer, you have met the sons of Pāṇḍu many times on the battlefield; yet in every encounter you have been overcome by the Pāṇḍavas.”
संजय उवाच
The verse underscores the ethical tension between pride and truth in a warrior’s life: repeated encounters reveal a pattern of defeat, reminding the listener that self-assessment should be grounded in outcomes and conduct rather than boastful claims.
Sañjaya addresses Karṇa directly, recalling that Karṇa has faced the Pāṇḍavas many times in battle and has been defeated in those encounters, thereby challenging Karṇa’s standing and confidence within the ongoing war narrative.