Shloka 243
दुर्योधन–द्रोणसंवादः
Arjuna-vīrya-prasaṃśā and renewed battle formation
कर्ण: प्रहरतां श्रेष्ठ: कृपं वाक्यमथाब्रवीत् | उन कृपाचार्यके ऐसा कहनेपर योद्धाओंमें श्रेष्ठ कर्णने उस समय रुष्ट होकर कृपाचार्यसे इस प्रकार कहा--
karṇaḥ praharatāṃ śreṣṭhaḥ kṛpaṃ vākyam athābravīt |
Sañjaya said: Karṇa, foremost among those who strike in battle, then addressed Kṛpa with words. In the heat of the moment, angered by Kṛpa’s remark, Karṇa spoke back—signaling a sharp turn from disciplined counsel to wounded pride amid the moral strain of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how speech in wartime can be driven by honor and anger: even a foremost warrior may shift from restraint to reactive words, showing the ethical tension between disciplined counsel and wounded pride.
Sañjaya narrates that Karṇa, renowned for his prowess, addresses Kṛpa. The surrounding context (as indicated by the prose gloss) is that Karṇa, provoked by Kṛpa’s comment, responds in anger, initiating a pointed exchange.