Shloka 33
कर्णेन व्यूहविधानम् — Karṇa’s Battle Formation and the Pāṇḍava Counter-Plan
Adhyāya 31
अस्मत्तो5 भ्यधिकं कर्ण मन्यमान: प्रशंससि । नचाहं युधि राधेयं गणये तुल्यमात्मन:,तुम कर्णको मुझसे श्रेष्ठ मानकर उसकी भूरि-भूरि प्रशंसा करते हो; परंतु युद्धस्थलमें राधापुत्र कर्णको मैं अपने समान नहीं गिनता हूँ
asmattobhya-dhikaṁ karṇa manyamānaḥ praśaṁsasi | na cāhaṁ yudhi rādhēyaṁ gaṇaye tulyam ātmanaḥ ||
Śalya said: “Karna, thinking him superior to me, you praise him again and again. But on the battlefield I do not count Rādheya (Karna) as equal to myself.”
शल्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how praise and status-claims in war can be driven by ego and rivalry; Śalya rejects being measured against Karna and asserts his own worth, showing how speech can inflame conflict and undermine unity in a martial alliance.
In the Karna Parva, Śalya addresses Karna directly during their tense exchange. Karna has been praising someone as superior to Śalya; Śalya retorts that he does not regard Karna (Rādheya) as his equal in battle, escalating their antagonism.