Shloka 62
Karna Reproves Shalya; Brahmin Reports on Bāhlīkas; Shalya’s Universalizing Rebuttal (कर्ण–शल्य संवादः)
यथाश्वह्गदयं वेद दाशार्ह: परवीरहा । तथा शल्यो विजानीते हयज्ञानं महारथ:
yathāśvagadaṁ veda dāśārhaḥ paravīrahā | tathā śalyo vijānīte hayajñānaṁ mahārathaḥ ||
Karna said: “Just as Dāśārha (Śrī Kṛṣṇa), the slayer of hostile heroes, knows the secret of horsemanship, so too the great charioteer Śalya understands the science of horses.”
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
Karna highlights that success in battle is not secured by courage alone; it also requires technical mastery (here, knowledge of horses and chariot-driving) and the right expert support. Competence and specialized skill become decisive ethical and practical factors in a kṣatriya’s conduct of war.
In Karṇa Parva, Karna is speaking about the capabilities involved in chariot warfare. He compares Kṛṣṇa’s renowned understanding of horsemanship with Śalya’s expertise, emphasizing Śalya’s qualification as a master of horse-knowledge and thus a significant factor in the unfolding combat.