Shloka 46
Karna Reproves Shalya; Brahmin Reports on Bāhlīkas; Shalya’s Universalizing Rebuttal (कर्ण–शल्य संवादः)
धनुर्घोरें रामदत्तं गाण्डीवात् तद् विशिष्यते । त्रिस्सप्तकृत्व: पृथिवी धनुषा येन निर्जिता
dhanur ghoraṁ rāmadattaṁ gāṇḍīvāt tad viśiṣyate | tris-saptakṛtvaḥ pṛthivī dhanuṣā yena nirjitā ||
Karna said: “This fearsome bow, bestowed by Rama (Paraśurāma), surpasses even the Gāṇḍīva. It is the very bow by which Paraśurāma conquered the earth twenty-one times.”
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how authority and prestige in dharmic warfare are often argued through lineage, teacher-bestowed weapons, and past exemplars. It also cautions that pride in inherited power can become a driving force in conflict, shifting focus from righteousness to rivalry.
Karna is boasting of a formidable bow given to him by Paraśurāma, claiming it surpasses Arjuna’s famed Gāṇḍīva. He strengthens his claim by citing Paraśurāma’s legendary conquest of the earth twenty-one times using that very bow.