Shloka 19
रथचिह्नवर्णनम् / Description of Chariot Standards and Allied Advances
न चापि पाण्डवा युद्धे भज्येरन्निति मे मति: । शूराश्ष बलवन्तश्न कृतास्त्रा युद्धदुर्मदा:,पाण्डव शूरवीर, बलवान अस्त्र-विद्यामें निपुण तथा युद्धमें उन््मत्त होकर लड़नेवाले हैं। ये रणभूमिसे कभी भाग नहीं सकते हैं। मेरा यही विश्वास है
na cāpi pāṇḍavā yuddhe bhajyerann iti me matiḥ | śūrāś ca balavantaś ca kṛtāstrā yuddadurmadāḥ ||
Karna said: “Nor do I think that the Pāṇḍavas will be broken in battle. They are heroes and strong, fully trained in the use of weapons, and fiercely intoxicated with the ardor of war. Such warriors do not turn away from the battlefield.”
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a warrior-ethic: true kṣatriyas, trained in arms and firm in resolve, do not easily collapse or retreat. It also cautions that underestimating a disciplined, weapon-skilled opponent is strategically and ethically reckless in war.
Karna is assessing the battlefield situation and the character of the Pāṇḍavas. He asserts that they are powerful, well-trained, and battle-fierce, implying that defeating them will not be easy and that they will not abandon the fight.