Shloka 43
Karna Reproves Shalya; Brahmin Reports on Bāhlīkas; Shalya’s Universalizing Rebuttal (कर्ण–शल्य संवादः)
येन दैत्यगणान् राजज्जितवान् वै शतक्रतुः । यस्य घोषेण दैत्यानां व्यामुहान्त दिशो दश
yena daityagaṇān rājaj jitavān vai śatakratuḥ | yasya ghoṣeṇa daityānāṁ vyāmuhyanta diśo daśa, rājan! indreṇa yena daityān jitaṁ, yasya ṭaṅkāreṇa daityānāṁ daśasu dikṣu parijñāne bhramo bhavati, tad eva sva-parama-priyaṁ divyaṁ dhanuḥ indreṇa paraśurāmāya dattam āsīt, paraśurāmeṇa ca tad divyam uttamaṁ dhanuḥ mahyaṁ dattam |
Karna said: “O King, it was with this very bow that Indra, the slayer of foes, conquered the hosts of Daityas; and by the thunderous twang of it the Daityas were thrown into confusion, unable to discern the ten directions. That supremely beloved, divine bow Indra once gave to Paraśurāma, and Paraśurāma has now bestowed that excellent divine bow upon me.”
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how martial power is framed as a trust transmitted through worthy lineages: divine weapons carry moral and reputational weight, and a warrior’s claim to authority is strengthened by the provenance of his arms. It also implies that fear and confusion in war can be produced not only by force but by awe-inspiring symbols of power.
Karna is asserting the greatness and pedigree of his bow. He recounts that Indra used it to defeat the Daityas, then gave it to Parashurama, and Parashurama in turn bestowed it upon Karna—thereby elevating Karna’s standing and signaling formidable capability in the coming combat.