Shloka 436
Adhyāya 10: Śrutakarmā’s Engagements; Prativindhya–Citra Duel; Drauṇi Advances toward Bhīma
दुर्योधनमुखा राजन् राजानो विजयैषिण: । जैसे देवताओंने स्कन्दको सेनापति बनाकर उनका सत्कार किया था, उसी प्रकार समस्त कौरव कर्णको सेनापति बनाकर उसका सत्कार करनेके लिये उद्यत हुए। राजन! विजयाभिलाषी दुर्योधन आदि राजाओंने शास्त्रोक्त विधिके द्वारा कर्णका अभिषेक किया
sañjaya uvāca |
duryodhana-mukhā rājan rājāno vijayaiṣiṇaḥ |
yathā devatābhiḥ skandaḥ senāpatiḥ kṛtvā satkṛtaḥ, tathā sarve kauravāḥ karṇaṃ senāpatiṃ kṛtvā tasya satkārāya udyatāḥ |
rājan vijayābhilāṣiṇo duryodhanādayo rājānaḥ śāstroktavidhinā karṇasyābhiṣekaṃ cakruḥ |
Sañjaya said: O King, the rulers led by Duryodhana, eager for victory, prepared to honor Karṇa by appointing him commander-in-chief—just as the gods once honored Skanda after making him their general. Seeking triumph, Duryodhana and the other kings then performed Karṇa’s consecration according to the rites prescribed in the scriptures.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights how political-military authority is publicly legitimized through ritual and collective recognition. It also suggests an ethical tension: the pursuit of victory (vijaya) can drive leaders to elevate a champion through formal rites, even when the broader war itself is morally fraught.
After Bhishma’s fall, the Kaurava side installs Karna as commander-in-chief. Duryodhana and allied kings honor him and perform his formal consecration (abhiṣeka) according to scriptural procedure, likening the event to the gods appointing Skanda as their general.